


Purgatory's Peak

by CatieFerrarer17



Category: wayhaught - Fandom
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-18
Updated: 2017-12-03
Packaged: 2019-02-04 00:19:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 40,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12759234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatieFerrarer17/pseuds/CatieFerrarer17
Summary: A passionate volcanologist, Waverly Earp is sent to Purgatory's Peak to check out some abnormal activity coming from the volcano above it. Run by Mayor Nicole Haught, the town, having just been declared one of the most desirable places to live in America, finds itself under threat from an imminent eruption. Waverly and Nicole find themselves working closely together as they try to save the town and the people that reside within it.





	1. Chapter 1

 

As the rain fell thick and hard around her, Waverly weaved the car through the fleeing people desperately trying to see where she was going. Soaked through to the skin with the rain laced with ash she gripped the wheel and pulled the truck around another corner. She could hear the screams outside only elevating the levels of fear inside her. These were only lowered slightly when the building holding the temporary office came into sight. The moment she hit the brakes and pulled the truck to a stop, her feet hit the floor and ran inside.

‘Mariam!’

Inside a dark haired woman busied herself looking at charts and computer screens, ‘this is happening too soon… there was no warning…’ she was muttering to herself and those around her.

Waverly rushed to her side, ‘Mariam, we have to go!’ Frantic, along with her colleagues, she began to pack the things on the desks into their boxes.

‘Look at the seismometers,’ Mariam protested pointing.

‘Sweetie,’ Waverly grabbed the woman’s face and held it firmly. ‘I don’t care; all the evidence we need is what is happening outside. We have to go… now!’ After being passed two cases, she took them and ran outside to the truck. Mariam realised that despite her disapproval to do so she would have to follow.

Once all the cases had been dumped into the back, Waverly and Mariam jumped inside and began to make their way through the escaping people. All around them the rain and ash fell densely. Now great lumps of rock and lava had begun to pelt the village with deadly force.

‘Oh Jesus,’ Waverly gasped as she saw them. ‘I don’t know if we’re going to get out of this baby.’

Mariam stared out of her window only just able to see through the thick sludge plastered on it, ‘we’re sure going to have some stories to tell honey,’ she agreed.

Without warning, a great lump of rock landed on the truck’s bonnet creating a massive dent and causing the truck to almost jump where it stood, ‘shit!’ Waverly cried knowing just how close that was. With a trembling foot she pulled the car forward again, ‘I can’t even see the road!’

‘Just go the way the people are running!’ Mariam advised also shaking.

As Waverly watched another piece of rock hurtle past the truck’s window and hit a group of people sending them scattering, she tried to control her breathing, ‘it’s going to be okay… it’s going to be okay…’ Then as she rounded another corner, a sudden deafening crash split through the air followed by a heart wrenching scream. ‘Mariam?’ Looking round, Waverly saw the hole in the roof first before she saw the blood pouring down Mariam’s head and face. ‘Mariam! Oh god… oh no no no no!’ Keeping one hand on the wheel she wrapped another around Mariam and pulled the shaking woman into her arms. Cradling the soon limp body, the tears flowed down Waverly’s face as she continued to weave her way out of the ill-fated Colombian village.

 

_Two years later._

‘Waverly?’

She could hear the answer phone, but she wasn’t listening. Instead, she kept her eyes focused ahead as she completed her morning push ups.

‘Waverly, it’s Gus. Look I know you’re there.’

Still Waverly ignored the machine as her breathing began more ragged as the pain in her arms worsened, but she was not going to stop. This had been her morning routine for years and she wasn’t going to stop it now.

‘Okay, if you’re sure you’re not there. We’ve been picking up some abnormal activity in the Northern Cascades, a place called Purgatory’s Peak. I need you to go and check it out.’

The information pricked up her interest but she still had twelve push ups to go.

‘Waverly?’ There was a pause. ‘Well check in when you pick this up. I’ll see you in the office.’

As the message ended and a beep signalled that Gus had hung up, Waverly completed the last push up and fell to the floor. Taking a few moments, she caught her breath and allowed her arms to start working weakly again. She looked round to where the phone sat on the bedside table with a picture of Mariam still propped up beside it. Returning her head to look forward and allowed herself to lie on the floor for a little while longer.

 

As she entered the United States Geographical Survey offices she slipped her shades off her nose and made her way over to Gus. She felt slightly awkward that she hadn’t returned the call, but Gus should know her better by now.

Looking up from the chart she was examining, Gus simply smiled a greeting, ‘ah Waverly, good… did you get my message?’ Waverly just raised her eyebrows. ‘Of course you did,’ Gus acknowledged amused.

‘So Purgatory’s Peak?’ Waverly asked putting her things down on the desk in front of her. ‘Haven’t heard much about this place.’

‘It’s not somewhere we ever thought we would have to go… volcano has been dormant for years, but look at this,’ she handed the chart over.

Waverly took it and examined the marks, ‘small quakes, only one to two though?’

‘Enough to spark interest,’ Gus said. ‘I think it’s worth investigating.’ By her tone, Waverly could hear that Gus was in agreement with her.

‘What’s the likelihood of an eruption? Thousand to one?’

Gus chuckled as she sipped her coffee, ‘that’s generous, more like ten thousand to one.’

Waverly was also amused, ‘and you still want me to go?’

‘You need a project. Since you are refusing to take that vacation I’ve been offering for months now,’ Gus stated with a sigh.

‘My work is my vacation,’ Waverly replied handing the chart back. ‘I’ll report back what I find.’ She picked up her things and returned her sunglasses before walking out of the office. Gus watched her go with another sigh and a subtle shake of the head. She had always admired Waverly’s work ethic, but she knew worried that the twenty eight year old worked too hard to cover what she was struggling to let go of.

 

The first thing that struck Waverly was the town’s beauty. The quaint American town buried underneath the impressive structure of the volcano above it was bathed in sunlight as she made her way through the crowds of people. The town was gripped in the middle of a celebration as Waverly pulled her new red truck up to the Cluster’s Last Stand Motel. Hopping out, she took a moment to look around. Other than the striking valley and green surroundings, her eyes were only drawn to the mountain towering above. She removed her shades to get a better view and remembered why she loved her job. She gave it a smile before reaching into the back of her truck to haul out her suitcases.

‘Number seven, round the corner,’ the elderly hotel manager told her once she was inside at the desk.

‘Thanks,’ Waverly said taking the key. She glanced out of the window at the partying people. ‘What’s going on?’

‘Ah,’ the man beamed. ‘The Mayor’s receiving an award today. We have officially been named the 2nd most desirable place to live in America.’ He stood up straight as he spoke, clearly proud of the accolade.

‘Where’s the most desirable?’ Waverly wondered picking up her suitcase.

This clearly irritated the man, ‘some shit hole in Montana.’ He shook his head as he cleared away his takings book and busied himself. ‘We’ll get them next year.’ Waverly chuckled to herself as she walked out of the office and made her way to her room.

 

‘Lauren!’ Tucking her shirt into her skirt, Nicole tripped over bag in the hall. ‘Damn it, will you two tidy up your things!’ Annoyed she picked up the bag and threw it to one side as she continued down the hall. ‘Lauren!’

‘Yes?’ The eight year old appeared from one of the rooms making Nicole jump.

‘I wish you wouldn’t do that!’ Nicole exclaimed. Lauren just grinned; her long brown hair falling around her face. ‘Have you seen my blue jacket?’

‘Which one?’ Lauren asked following Nicole into the kitchen.

‘The smart one… it goes with this skirt?’ she grabbed her brush and drew it through her long red hair a few times. She looked at her watch. ‘Oh shit, we’re going to be so late.’ She stopped at looked at the young girl. ‘You didn’t hear me say that.’

‘What this time or all the other times?’ Lauren laughed. Nicole just rolled her eyes. ‘Your blue jacket is on the chair in the study.’

‘Can you go and get it please darling?’ Without any argument, Lauren ran away along the hall to leave Nicole to look at herself in the mirror in the hall. ‘Okay… you can do this. You’ve done so many speeches, this is just another…’ her face fell. ‘In front of the whole freaking town.’

‘Here you go.’

Nicole took the jacket that had been thrust into her face, ‘thanks sweetie.’ After pulling it on, Nicole looked at herself one more time in the mirror before turning to Lauren. ‘Now where’s your brother?’ Lauren avoided her eyes. ‘Lauren?’ Nicole asked sternly. As the eight year old avoided her eye contact, Nicole groaned. ‘He told you not to tell me didn’t he?’

‘I’m sorry…’ Lauren said.

‘That sibling bond of yours is very irritating,’ Nicole sighed turning Lauren around and gently pushing her towards the front door. ‘Never mind, we’ll have to get him afterwards.’ She grabbed her keys and bag as they went. ‘Now is it Kathy or Karen?’

‘Karen,’ Lauren told her. ‘You just asked me that this morning!’

Nicole pulled the door closed behind her, ‘don’t judge me child… I’ve got enough people doing that today as it is.’

 

Meandering leisurely through the waiting people, Waverly moved towards the stage taking in the sights around her. The high street was bustling with cafes, local business and shops. With its views and surroundings, she could see why it was receiving the award that it was. The streets were clean with no hint of vandalism and families gathered happily talking together with children wandering freely and safely. It was clear that was a close knit community, one where everyone knew each other.

‘Sorry for the delay folks,’ came the man’s voice over the speaker. ‘I am sure that Mayor Haught will be with us very shortly…’ As Waverly approached he saw the man behind the podium turn as a woman rushed on stage. ‘In fact… here she is!’

A little out of breath, Nicole shook the man’s hand, straightened her jacket and walked calmly to the podium to address the cheering crowd, ‘thank you Larry… and thank you all for your patience.’ As soon as Waverly saw her, she stopped her walk immediately to pay the mayor her full attention. ‘Yes, I am absolutely delighted to be here today and I wouldn’t have been without all of your hard work… so this day is not just about me but about all of you as well.’ Another round of applause filled the air. ‘Now, I would like to hand the stand over to…’

‘Karen!’ came Lauren’s voice from the crowd causing a ripple of laughter to course through the people.

Nicole looked lovingly down at the little girl, ‘yes Karen, thank you Lauren.’

An older woman, also smiling with amusement, stood up and swapped places with Nicole at the stand. Waverly’s attention stayed with only one of the women as she removed her sunglasses to get a better look. ‘It is my absolute pleasure to give Money Magazine’s award of the 2nd Most Desirable Place in the United States, population under 20,000, to Mayor Haught and Purgatory’s Peak.’

Rapturous applause rose from the crowd as Nicole stepped forward to shake Karen’s hand and accept the plaque. She stepped forward to the front of the stage to show it to the crowd and gestured that she was sharing it with all of them. As she watched, her eyes fixed on Nicole, Waverly couldn’t help but put her own hands together and clap.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

Deep in the forest, a young woman shuffled herself out of her clothes beside the Twonset Hot Springs. The sign kept her modesty for a few moments before she stepped out from behind it, much to her boyfriend’s delight. He was already waiting in the steaming water. Carefully, she tiptoed forward until her feet became submerged.

‘Wow… it’s really hot,’ she inhaled as her legs and torso slid their way in. Soon, she was wrapped up in her boyfriend’s arms.

He kissed her neck, ‘that’s why they call it the hot springs baby.’ She enjoyed his kisses and accepted one on her lips before the sudden flight of a nearby flock of birds caught their attention. They watched as they ascended quickly and disappeared between the trees. ‘Don’t worry,’ he said returning his attention to her. ‘Probably an animal scared them.’

She wasn’t wholly convinced but his kisses brought her back, ‘let’s just hope it’s an animal that doesn’t like hot water…’ she chuckled as his kisses began to trace down her chest.

Out of nowhere a sudden bubble disturbed the water; they both looked at it alarmed. Then more and more began to occur around them as the temperature of the water rose too quickly for them both to react. It wasn’t long before they were both screaming. Below their feet lava burst through the ground under them and into the water and their fate was sealed.

 

‘Wonderful speech mayor,’ Larry beamed at Nicole as she made her way down the steps from the stage.

Brushing a hand through her hair Nicole took a moment to catch her breath, ‘thank you.’ She then realised that someone was standing with him.

‘This is Waverly Earp,’ he said gesturing to her. Waverly offered her hand and Nicole shook it. ‘She is from the United States Geographical Survey; she’s here to check out our mountain.’

‘Yes, I remember,’ Nicole smiled. ‘Come to see that there’s nothing to worry about?’

‘Hopefully,’ Waverly nodded.

‘Well, I shall leave you two ladies to it,’ Larry said politely before heading back to the stage.

The two women glanced at each other a little awkwardly, not knowing where to take the conversation, ‘maybe you can show me around?’ Waverly suggested. ‘If you’re not too busy…’

Nicole looked up at the stage and was actually relieved for the excuse to escape, ‘not at all…’ she greeted Lauren with an embrace as the girl arrived. ‘I just need to make a little stop first.’

 

Waverly was slightly puzzled as she, Nicole and Lauren sat in Nicole’s truck looking at the double metal doors that indicated the entrance to the mines.

‘This won’t take a moment,’ with a little vigour Nicole beeped the horn three times.

‘Now we wait,’ Lauren said from the back.

‘Sorry about this,’ Nicole said a little embarrassed. ‘Kids… they drive me crazy!’

‘Graham’s going to be in soooooo much trouble,’ Lauren laughed.

‘Stop enjoying this okay,’ Nicole snapped gently glaring at Lauren in the windscreen mirror.

Waverly studied Nicole, ‘you must have been a young Mum,’ she commented.

‘Oh…’ Nicole chuckled her eyes widening, ‘they’re not mine.’ Her face fell a little. ‘They’re… they were my sister’s.’ She glanced at Lauren again as if to check the impact of her words.

‘Were?’ Waverly frowned.

‘She died,’ Lauren said sadly from the back.

Nicole reached behind her and placed a hand on Lauren’s knee, ‘car crash, just over a year and a half ago…’ she explained. ‘Then her good for nothing husband left a note saying he couldn’t cope and took off… leaving them with me.’

‘I’m so sorry,’ Waverly said looking at Nicole’s hand on Lauren’s leg. The little girl was resting one of her hands on Nicole’s whilst staring despondently out of the window.

‘Sometimes it’s hard,’ Nicole admitted gently. ‘But honestly… I do love them like they’re my own. I was a very hands on aunt anyway.’ She squeezed Lauren’s leg before putting both her hands on the wheel. ‘Most of the time.’ No one had emerged from the other side of the door in front them. With a little more anger she beeped the horn again. ‘Graham!’ she cried even though she knew from her position Graham couldn’t hear her.

‘I think that it’s remarkable,’ Waverly said. ‘That you’ve taken them on… many wouldn’t.’

‘I couldn’t bear not having them in my life…’ finally Graham and some other boys appear from a small flap beside the man door. One that Waverly hadn’t realised was there as it was so well disguised. A rather guilty looking twelve year old floppy haired boy made his way to the truck and got into the back with Lauren. ‘You and I are going to have words later,’ Nicole said sternly.

‘Whatever,’ Graham shrugged.

‘You sure about that last sentence?’ Lauren asked.

‘Between you and me sweetheart,’ Nicole said reversing the truck. ‘You I would keep but your brother… adoption is still an option…’ The car fell into laughter as Nicole drove the truck away from the mine and down the road. Graham however looked a little uncomfortable.

 

As the hills and trees flashed past the window, Graham fished a stone out of his pocket, ‘hey Lauren check this out, I found it in the mine…’ he showed her the shiny jagged black stone.

‘That’s so cool,’ Lauren grinned excitedly as she turned it over in her hand.

‘Can I see?’ Waverly asked.

‘Waverly here is an expert on rocks,’ Nicole told them keeping her eyes on the road.

Lauren handed it to Waverly who remained twisted round to face them as she studied the rock, ‘do you know what this is?’ she asked them. To this both children shook their heads. ‘This is a smoky quartz crystal… for some people this is very lucky.’

‘Really?’ Graham said his eyes lighting up.

‘Absolutely,’ Waverly nodded handing it back to him. ‘Look after that carefully.’ Graham took it and looked at it with far more interest than he had done before.

‘See geologists, they know the really cool stuff,’ Nicole went on.

Waverly turned back so she was sitting normally in her seat, ‘actually I’m a volcanologist…’ Nicole began to look apologetic but Waverly cut in. ‘But we also know an awful lot about rocks.’ She said kindly to spare the mayor.

They shared a smile before Nicole’s mind returned to her tasks off the day, ‘do you mind if we take a little detour? I need to drop the kids off at my mother’s.’

‘Not at all,’ Waverly said relaxing in her seat. ‘Honestly, just go about your day.’

‘After that, I can show you around a bit more.’

‘Sounds good,’ Waverly agreed as her eyes drifted back to the beautiful scenery that glided past.

 

The car had barely pulled to a stop before the children had jumped out of the back and were running towards the house. Stepping out more calmly, Waverly pushed the truck door closed as she admired the stunning surroundings. A singular wooden house sat on the edge of a crystal clear lake about a quarter of the way up the mountain. An almost perfect reflection of the volcano shone on the lake’s surface surrounded by tall pine trees and the perfect blue sky.

Nicole’s mother emerged from the house and greeted the children in each arm, ‘well hello there,’ she beamed at them.

‘Can we can go swimming Grandma?’ Lauren asked. ‘Can we… please?’

‘Well I have been promising you two a trip to the hot springs for a few weeks now and it’s the perfect day for it…’ she glanced at Nicole. ‘But you better ask your aunt…’ Both children looked at the approaching Nicole with pleading stares and she simply could not deny them. She rolled her eyes and nodded. ‘Well, there you go. You know where your swimming suits are.’ With thrilled screams the children rushed past her and disappeared into the house. As she walked forward her eyes flitted between Nicole and Waverly who approached cautiously with Nicole. ‘So award all accepted?’

‘It is…’ Nicole replied. ‘… and I got the name right, thanks to Lauren.’

Waverly could sense tension between them now the children were not present, especially when Nicole’s mother’s eyes rested upon her, ‘are you Nicole’s girlfriend?’ she enquired a little coldly.

‘Um…’ caught off guard Waverly moved forward. ‘Er… no, I’m Waverly Earp… a volcanologist,’ she offered her hand which the elder woman took after a little hesitation. ‘I’m here to check out your mountain.’

‘Oh I see, well I’m Ruth,’ she appeared to relax a little. ‘You people came here a few years ago, there was nothing going on then and there’s nothing going on now.’

Waverly couldn’t help but chuckle, ‘that’s what we hope, but we still have to check it out…’

‘She just wants to make sure we’re safe, that’s all,’ Nicole added. Ruth couldn’t help but continue to study Waverly carefully as the sun shone down on the three as they stood by the lake. Nicole was relieved when Lauren and Graham returned from the house carrying bags in their hands. She greeted them with a large grin. ‘So you ready to go swimming?’ Their excited jumping up and down displayed their answer clearly. Nicole then spotted Waverly crouched down by the side of the lake. ‘Hop into the truck with Grandma then… I’ll be right there.’ After checking the children had both got into the back with Ruth, she walked slowly to the side of the lake where Waverly was using a probe to check something about the water. Peering over the volcanologist’s shoulder she saw some numbers on its display. She couldn’t help but admire the slender toned shape of Waverly’s arms as she did so. ‘All okay?’

Waverly glanced up then back at the screen, ‘just checking the acidity of the lake,’ she waited for the numbers to stop flashing and settled on a reading as she held the metal probe into the water. She noted the final numbers before turning the machine off and rising up to standing.

‘Anything to worry about?’

‘No… no I don’t think so,’ Waverly assured her. Then she spotted to some dead trees on the other side of the lake behind Nicole. ‘Do you have any idea when they died?’ She pointed causing Nicole to turn and look.

The mayor shook her head, ‘no idea… maybe a couple of winters ago, we had some major snow storms up here. Could that have done it?’

‘Probably… hard to tell… lots of reasons trees die.’ She wound the cable around the kit in her hand and spotted the impatient children staring at them in the back of the truck. ‘I think we better…’ she gestured to them.

‘Ah yes,’ Nicole agreed as they walked over. ‘Before they blow the roof off my truck! You okay to go with them? I know I said I’d show you round…’

‘To be honest I’m rather intrigued to see the hot springs,’ Waverly smiled. ‘They are due to volcanic activity after all…’

 

‘Watch out for poison oak when you get changed into your swim suits!’ Nicole shouted after the children as they disappeared down the steps and into the woods. A little slower, Ruth proceeded after them holding on tightly to the wooden rail. On the other side of the road near the truck, Waverly was taking photos of the rock bank and trees. She took a few steps forward and picked up a rock. She studied it for a few moments, turning it over in her hand then threw it back to the bank. It tumbled down a few feet before coming to rest. ‘They say that a person who stares at a rock has a lot on their mind… or nothing at all,’ Nicole chuckled observing.

Waverly smiled at her before taking another photo, ‘the rocks might be able to tell us when this place was last active and I always have something on my mind when I’m staring at them… as it’s my job…’ she turned to face Nicole and raised her camera to her eye. She clicked the shutter taking Nicole off guard. ‘Beautiful,’ she chuckled.

A sudden child’s scream ripped through their moment. Without any hesitation, Nicole took off down the steps followed by Waverly. It didn’t take them long to weave their way quickly along the woodland path and arrive to see what had alarmed Lauren.

‘Dead squirrels,’ she cried falling into Ruth’s arms.

‘Don’t touch them baby…’ Nicole warned. She looked over Graham’s shoulder to see two dead squirrels flopped over a rock. She looked at Waverly. ‘What do you think?’

Waverly’s face was dismissive, ‘could be anything,’ still she decided to take a photo.

‘They’ve been dropping all over like that,’ Ruth commented.

‘Could be something to do with the animals,’ Waverly assured them looking up at the trees. Still, Lauren clung to Ruth and pulled her eyes away from the unfortunate sight.

‘Come on sweetheart,’ Ruth said softly to her. ‘Let’s go swimming.’ The thought caused Lauren to brighten and with a smile, she took off through the woods past a sign directing them. Graham enjoyed one last look at the dead squirrels covered in maggots before they were out of sight. It was clear when the group had reached the hot springs as steam rose up through the trees causing a mist to descend upon them.

‘Look Grandma, someone left their clothes here,’ Lauren giggled as she began to slip out of hers.

Ruth sent a suggestive smile Waverly and Nicole’s way, ‘lots of people slip up here for a hot dip… or some hot nookie.’ Nicole looked a little embarrassed at Ruth’s words as she glanced at Waverly. Waverly covered her laugh as she started to look around.

Already out of his clothes and in his swimming trunks, Graham made his way round through the steam looking for the perfect place to jump in. He found it and prepared himself. ‘Look at me Nicole!’ he cried.

Seeing something through the steam, Waverly spun round instantly as Graham took off, ‘no… no Graham wait!’ she tore through the woods and wrapped her arm around Graham’s mid drift to stop him jumping off the bank. The moment she did so, another scream from Lauren rang out through the trees. Slowly, the mist cleared to reveal the boiled and burnt bodies of a man and a woman floating on the surface of the spring. Catching his breath, Graham held onto Waverly’s arms tightly as he dealt with the sight in front of him, whilst Lauren ran to Nicole, who stood frozen in shock next to her mother, and buried her face into her aunt’s stomach not wanting to see any more.


	3. Chapter 3

As the lights of emergency vehicles flashed out despite the glare of the sun, Waverly put the phone to her ear once the number had been dialled. ‘Hi… Gus, yeah, it’s Waverly… you might want to get yourself out here…’ She listened to Gus’ question. ‘We have two dead bodies and a lot of carbon dioxide in the air killing trees and wildlife… okay… cheers Gus.’ She hung up and looked round to see the two bodies being brought up in black body bags. Whilst Lauren and Graham were being consoled by Ruth in the truck, Nicole joined Waverly by her side. ‘Any idea who they were?’ Waverly asked gesturing to the bodies as she put her phone away.

‘Nope,’ Nicole replied watching them being loaded into one of the ambulances. ‘Back packers maybe… a lot of them come up here to check out the mountain and the hot springs.’

Waverly glanced over at the children who both hand their heads nestled into Ruth’s chest with her arms around them holding them tight, ‘they going to be okay?’

Nicole also looked over, ‘they’ve seen so much death… I hate that they’ve now seen more…’

‘You couldn’t possibly have known,’ Waverly assured her gently. Nicole moved her eyes to rest on the volcanologist’s and found a little comfort in them. ‘Listen, I think I need to call a council meeting. I think we need to put the town on alert.’

As she began to make their way over the truck, Nicole nodded pulling her phone out of her pocket, ‘I’ll make some calls.’

 

‘What do you mean we have to put the town on alert?’ Wynonna Turner, the head of the police department demanded, rising from her chair. ‘The bloody volcano is extinct isn’t it?’

Sitting in the firing line on the other side of the room, Waverly remained calm, ‘I’m talking about the possibility of putting the town on alert,’ she said. ‘And the volcano is dormant rather than extinct.’

‘What’s the difference?’ Wynonna snapped.

‘Extinct means it will never erupt whereas dormant means sleeping and therefore… there’s a possibility she might wake up…’ Waverly told her.

The other members of the council exchanged nervous glances, ‘and you think this is happening?’ a man asked crossing his arms looking very unimpressed. His shirt and tie indicated that he was a member high in the society of the town.

‘I’m not sure what is happening at the moment…’ Waverly started.

‘You’re not sure what is happening!?’ the man laughed.

‘Les, let her finish please,’ Nicole cut in.

Waverly glanced gratefully at Nicole but she couldn’t enjoy the moment the long when Les began again, ‘do you have any idea what this is going to do to our investors if they catch wind of this? They will pack up and leave town.’

‘Look we have just seen two dead bodies in the springs,’ Nicole argued taking to her feet also. ‘If Waverly, who is an expert, thinks there is something to worry about then we should listen.’

As the argument continued between the people gathered a new face had made her way into the room. Gus only had to hear a few lines before her eyes found Waverly still sitting and looking rather awkward. ‘Waverly,’ Gus called over. Waverly looked up relieved to see her boss. ‘Can I have a word?’ she beckoned the younger woman out of the room. The quarrel continued in the background as Gus looked at her employee questioningly. ‘Do you mind telling me what’s going on?’

‘I called a meeting,’ Waverly told her. ‘Two people are dead, there is evidence of rising carbon dioxide levels in the air and minor rises in the acid in the lake further up the mountain… I thought it the only responsible thing to do.’

Gus shook her head, ‘Waverly you know that we need a lot more evidence than that to jump to any conclusions and a hell of a lot more to call a town meeting to even think about putting a town on alert.’

Waverly stared at her boss a little stunned, ‘two people are dead Gus… boiled alive.’

‘Which is a tragedy,’ Gus acknowledged. ‘But that’s no reason so scare the shit out of everybody.’ Annoyed Waverly put her hands on her hips and stared at the ground. ‘Now, I think I will handle things from here and you need a vacation… which you will damn well take young lady…’ Waverly met her eyes with clear disapproval and shock. ‘Get your head together… I will see you in two weeks.’ She glared at Waverly before returning to the fray that was carrying on in the other room. Waverly watched her go gritting her teeth. With an irritated shake of the head, she made her way out of the council building. ‘I’m so sorry about that folks… I am sure that my colleague Miss Earp had your best interests at heart… but from now on, all decisions will come from me…’ Gus told the group as they separated when she came in. ‘Now, me and my team are moving in tomorrow and we are going to monitor your mountain. We’re going to put seismometers in, tilt meters in and bounce lasers off her surface… hell, we’re even going to go up there and take the darn thing’s temperature… if she even so much as coughs, we will know about it. And when and only when we think that there is a real problem, will we call another meeting and consider putting the town on alert.’

As soon as Gus finished speaking, all eyes turned to Nicole, ‘this meeting should never have been called,’ Les shot at her.

‘Going to certainly make me think about whether I should vote for you in the next mayoral election,’ Wynonna agreed. ‘Jumping to conclusions slightly there weren’t you?’

‘Completely unnecessary,’ Les muttered angrily as he and Wynonna made their way out of the room. Gus pressed lips together as she looked at her sympathetically before Nicole was left alone to think about her judgement.

 

Humiliated and furious, Waverly marched back to her room and began to gather her things. The suitcase that was resting on the chair beside the bed was thrown onto the bed and after bouncing a few times had barely come to rest before her clothes were ripped out of draws and cast into it. She swept her things from in front of the mirror and dumped them inside before taking a moment to collect her thoughts. She closed the suitcase and began to zip it up before her thoughts again caused her to pause and think. As she pressed her weight down on the suitcase with both hands, she lowered her head and took a few deep breaths. The screams that Lauren had let out when seeing the two dead bodies rang out in her head and the horrified look on Nicole’s face when she saw the impact it had on her two children flashed through her mind as if she was seeing it clearly in front of her. She owed it to them to make sure they were safe. She wasn’t going to give up that easily.

 

After unpacking her things, tired from the long journey Gus decided she would check out the local bar in order to catch a late nightcap. When entering the bustling bar, she almost laughed when she saw who was sitting on one of the bar stools enjoying a glass of wine. Coolly, she took a seat next to Waverly and beckoned the lady behind the bar over.

‘You were supposed to be on your way home,’ Gus chuckled before looking at the bar woman. ‘Whiskey please.’

‘Well… I decided to stick around,’ Waverly replied taking a sip of her drink.

Gus studied her and told herself she should have known better. She took her drink from the lady and paid her before swilling it around in the glass, ‘you have to understand the politics involved in these situations,’ she took a sip and cradled the glass in both her hands. ‘These things are so insufferably complicated.’

‘I know,’ Waverly admitted.

‘You can’t just act…’

‘Gus…’ Waverly interrupted carefully. ‘I know.’

From Waverly’s tone, Gus could tell she understood, ‘why won’t you take the vacation?’

Waverly looked back at her drink, ‘too much time to think.’

‘Have you even grieved properly… in two years?’ Gus asked gently.

‘I grieve every day Gus… and I’ve cried plenty, isn’t that enough?’

Gus nodded but not in complete agreement, ‘I just worry…’

‘I know,’ Waverly placed a hand on Gus’ to show her appreciation. ‘I just… I need to work. I need to be here.’

‘Okay,’ Gus agreed. ‘But…’

‘You’re in charge,’ Waverly chuckled finishing her drink and hopping down from her stool. She tapped Gus’ arm then threw on her jacket and made her way out of the bar. Gus watched her go with a wry smile. She adored Waverly, her work ethic, ethos and how she cared. However sometimes, it caused her to be a little bit of a live wire in need of taming.

 

As the sun’s rays trickled with growing strength through the leaves on the trees, Waverly pulled her truck into the small car park of the coffee shop. The shop overlooked one of the main bridges in and out of town over the river which churched its way down through the valley below the mountain. Waverly admired the picturesque view in the calm of the early hours before making her way up the wooden steps past another early customer. A gentle tinkle greeted her from the bell above the door as she moved into the shop. Her eyes fell upon Nicole, dressed in a white tank top and blue jeans with her red hair flowing around her shoulders, as she busied herself behind the counter.

‘I’ll be right with you!’ she called as she wiped the coffee machine. The moment she turned, a wide smile spread across her face. ‘Oh hi…’ She breathed out.

‘Good morning,’ Waverly smiled in return taking a seat.

‘An early riser too huh?’ Nicole asked placing her hands wide as she leant on the counter on the opposite side. Her white apron was stained already with smears of coffee and chocolate powder.

‘The early bird catches the worm…’ her eyes left Nicole’s and drifted to the menu on the wall. ‘… or the coffee… what’s good here?’

‘Well it’s all good,’ Nicole laughed proudly. ‘I can do expresso, latte, mocha…’

‘How about regular coffee?’ Waverly asked.

With an amused tilt of the head, Nicole turned round to the coffee machine, ‘I can do that also… though I was hoping for a challenge… a chance to impress...’

‘Trust me, with everything you have going on…’ Waverly said as Nicole placed a white mug in front of her. ‘… I’m plenty impressed already…’ their eyes only had a chance to meet for a moment before Waverly cried out in pain and clutched her hand. Mortified, Nicole looked down to see that in the distraction of Waverly’s deep brown eyes, she had poured coffee over her customer’s hand rather than into the mug.

‘Oh shit…’ she exclaimed grabbing a towel. ‘I am so sorry…’

‘It’s okay,’ Waverly laughed biting her tongue slightly at the pain. ‘I’m fine.’ She took the towel and held it over where the burn stung. ‘I think slightly deserved.’

‘What do you mean?’ After cleaning up the spillage she took the mug and tried again, this time successfully filling it with coffee.

‘For ruining your chances of re-election next year with my little meeting last night,’ Waverly reminded her.

‘Oh that?’ Nicole chuckled. ‘Come on, you were only doing what you thought was right.’

‘It was rash,’ Waverly stated. ‘I often forget that there is a lot of politics involved in these things.’ She removed the towel to have a look at her hand. Other than a red mark the pain was subsiding and she was able to comfortably take the mug of coffee and have a sip.

‘When it comes to saving lives… politics can do one as far as I’m concerned.’ Nicole quipped leisurely.

Waverly almost spat out her coffee in surprise, ‘well, that’s certainly a refreshing line from a mayor.’

‘I try,’ Nicole grinned. There was a pause as Waverly enjoyed another sip of coffee and Nicole gathered her thoughts to say the next sentence hovering on her tongue. ‘Like I try to cook…’ she closed her eyes and decided that she just had to say it. ‘Do you like vegetable lasagne?’ It was slightly blurted out but nevertheless Waverly’s eyes still looked intrigued. ‘I make it… or I attempt to and I was wondering whether you wanted to come over tonight have… some vegetable lasagne?’

Waverly placed her mug down on the counter and gazed at the nervous woman in front of her. She leaned forward slightly being purposefully flirtatious, ‘are you asking me over for dinner?’

Nicole bit her lip, ‘I think I’m trying to yes…’ Bashfully, her eyes left Waverly’s, floating to the volcanologist’s lips and then down her neck and away from the other woman all together.

Endeared at Nicole’s apprehension, Waverly took her hand from the mug and placed it on Nicole’s, ‘I’d love to…’ for the first time in two years she could feel her heart beginning to race.

Nicole looked down at where Waverly’s fingers touched the skin on the back of her hand, ‘it’s to say thank you.’ Waverly frowned. ‘For saving Graham’s life… and for caring.’

‘It’s just my job,’ Waverly smiled with a little shrug.

‘Maybe… but I think you care more than others would… and vegetable lasagne is the perfect way to say that I think.’ A little overcome with her nerves once again, Nicole pulled her hand away and began to busy herself behind the counter cleaning the machines and organising the mugs. Waverly could have watched her all morning, but she was required elsewhere and had to pull herself away. As she walked out of the door, she knew that she would struggle to concentrate on any work she would be obligated to do that day.

 


	4. Chapter 4

 

It was one Waverly’s favourite parts of the job. With her colleague beside her, she sat behind the pilot as he steered the helicopter over towards the crater of the volcano. It was stunning.

‘Would you look at that,’ Doc said leaning forwards to get a better view out of the window.

‘Amazing,’ Waverly agreed. Heights had never bothered her as she stared at the sight that stretched out for miles below. The mountain dropped away at a sharp angle from the crater which still had the remnants of snow in small parts from the winter before. In the crater the lava damn smoked gently but other than that, all was quiet. ‘What are the readings?’ she asked glancing back.

Behind them, Rosita sat with her clipboard on her lap and machines around her feet. She bent forward to look at one of the dials, ‘minimal sulphur dioxide,’ she replied into her mouthpiece.

Waverly almost looked a little disappointed, ‘you sure?’

Rosita checked again, ‘yeah Waves… green across the board.’

‘She’s quiet,’ Doc agreed.

With an unimpressed sigh, Waverly turned away and gazed out of the window once again down at nature’s masterpiece that towered over its surroundings, ‘yep… she’s quiet.’ She turned to the pilot. ‘Take us back.’ With a nod, he moved the stick by the side of his leg and the helicopter veered away from the mountain on a path back to the town.

 

The children laughed as Waverly dropped the coin she was trying to pretend she could make disappear. Nicole’s kitchen was small but large enough to accommodate a table that had sat the four of them comfortably. Waverly sat at one end with the children perched on their elbows fully invested in giving all their attention to her.

‘You’re not very good at magic,’ Lauren laughed.

‘Well not very good at that one…’ Waverly admitted. ‘But… how about this…’ From over her shoulder, Nicole watched as she finished the washing up. ‘Now this takes really careful skill.’ She reached across the table to get one of the napkins. ‘See this,’ she held it by two of its corners and turned it so the children could see that nothing was attached. ‘Nothing, just a napkin.’ She put it to her nose and pretended to blow, making a silly noise which caused the children to giggle. ‘Now disgusting, not going to use that one…’ she threw it aside and collected another. ‘Can you check it please Lauren?’ Lauren did so just as Waverly had then placed it on the table. ‘Now we need something really special.’ Nicole placed the last plate on the draining board then brought her wine back to the table to enjoy the show in progress. ‘I need a really special hair…’ she narrowed her eyes examining Lauren’s head before pretending to pull a hair from it. ‘Did that hurt?’

‘No,’ laughed Lauren.

‘I didn’t think so, because you’re a girl and we’re braver than boys aren’t we?’ Waverly teased as she looked at Graham. He just rolled his eyes. ‘Right, so we have our special thread, now we need a special needle…’ she reached into her pocket and suddenly winced.

‘You okay?’ Graham asked.

‘I’m fine,’ Waverly assured them sucking her finger. It became quickly apparent that there was no actual blood. ‘Just this exceptional needle is very sharp…’ she held her fingers together as if she was holding one. ‘Now this takes a lot of concentration so bear with me.’ She carefully pretended to thread Lauren’s invisible hair through the invisible needle. ‘Now that’s done, can you hold it for me?’ she gave it to Lauren who looked a little perplexed but played along. Waverly picked up the napkin in front of her and made sure she had a point between her finger and thumb. ‘Now… let’s see…’ she held the corner up and mimicked pushing the needle through it and when she pretended to pull it out of the other side, the cloth began to move as if being tugged. The eyes of both children widened in amazement.

‘It really works,’ Lauren gasped.

‘Woah,’ even Graham was shocked.

‘Of course it works,’ Waverly smiled still pulling the needle with the cloth bending right over as she did so. She stopped and leaned in closer to the children. ‘There’s always magic if you believe in it…’

‘You’re amazing,’ Lauren grinned. ‘Can you do another?’

‘I think Waverly has performed enough for you tonight, plus… it’s bedtime,’ Nicole chuckled rising from her seat. Lauren groaned and slumped back in her chair. ‘If you see all her tricks this evening there won’t be any left for another day… come on.’ She pushed her hands down behind Lauren’s shoulders to alleviate her from the chair. With a little reluctance, both Lauren and Graham made their way up the stairs which led away from the kitchen. ‘Make sure you brush your teeth and I’ll be up to check on you in a bit!’ Nicole called up after them.

 

With the sounds of the night surrounding them, Nicole and Waverly stared out across the valley as it slowly became shrouded in night. Between them, a new bottle of wine sat half-drunk as they enjoyed the serenity of the setting from the porch.

‘So you haven’t heard from him since he left?’ Waverly asked softly.

‘Nope… not even a phone call or a letter,’ Nicole replied with the hint of disdain in her voice. ‘It’s been hardest for Graham, not having that father figure around.’

‘I can imagine. Have you ever tried to find him? I mean he has responsibilities…’

‘Mum and I have talked about it,’ Nicole nodded. ‘But to be honest, we’re both so angry with him that we’re not sure we want to.’ She looked down at the glass in her hands. ‘My focus in making sure they’re okay you know?’

‘And how are you doing? I mean… losing your sister must have been…’

‘Heart wrenching, heart breaking and pain that no one can ever imagine?’ Nicole finished tears appearing in her eyes. ‘I miss her every day. She was my older sister, by six years and… she was my hero. Our father died young… cancer… so she looked after me when Mum couldn’t… she and Dad died at the same age… thirty eight. Way too young.’

Waverly gazed at the woman in front of her feeling so much empathy and admiration, ‘you’ve had it tough… yet, you run a business, a town and look after two children who aren’t even your own… you’re extraordinary.’

‘I’ve wanted to give up,’ Nicole admitted wiping the tears that were escaping from her eyes. ‘So many times, but if you fill your life with enough reasons to live, they keep you going. After Dad died it was my sister, then it was wanting to make something of this place,’ she gestured to the house and the shop behind them, ‘and then the town and now… it’s those two wonderful children asleep upstairs.’ She allowed herself to enjoy the look Waverly was giving her before breaking their eye contact to take a small sip of wine.

‘And in amongst all of that, any chance of anyone special?’ Waverly asked, gently intrigued.

Nicole couldn’t help but laugh, ‘in a town of 20,000… for a lesbian? Not many actual prospects… I’ve dabbled, got serious once, but she moved away and that was that… then life and the kids took over…’ She turned her attention to Waverly. ‘How about you? Ever been anyone special?’

The smile on Waverly’s face dulled slightly, ‘there was… once…’

Nicole could sense hurt, ‘what happened?’ As the sting hit her chest, Waverly looked away. ‘I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to…’

‘No… it’s okay,’ Waverly assured her. She knew it was about time she talked about it with someone. ‘Her name was Mariam. We worked together. She loved volcanoes. If it was possible, she loved them more than I did. Absolutely fascinated with them.’ She cleared her throat feeling the emotion building. ‘We were in Colombia and we got too close to the show. We thought we could get out but… Mariam was killed.’ She gazed into Nicole’s eyes. ‘I haven’t spoken about it… properly… to anyone.’

‘How long ago?’ Nicole asked meeting her gaze.

‘Two years… I’ve been trying to move on but…’

‘Grief has no timeline,’ Nicole finished completely understanding. Waverly smiled in relief that finally someone understood. ‘I think most people want you to move on because it’s more convenient for them, but even two years later it can still be one day at a time… or I guess with you,’ she titled her head a almost knowingly. ‘… one mountain at a time?’

Now Waverly was really touched. Nicole seemed to understand her already, ‘absolutely,’ she breathed out. The word was barely audible due to her pleasant surprise.

‘What if ours blows up?’ Nicole wondered.

Waverly pulled her eyes away and looked up at the dark shape which loomed above them still apparent despite the fact night had fallen completely around them, ‘a mountain that size with a structure like St Helen’s?’ she paused already knowing the truth. ‘The blast would reach here in less than a minute.’

The truth hit Nicole in the stomach. Waverly could see it as she adjusted herself uncomfortably in her seat, ‘let’s hope that it doesn’t then…’

‘Unfortunately Mother Nature doesn’t let us decide… but if she does, you have my word that I will make sure you and your family get out safely.’ She reached across and placed her hand on Nicole’s seeing that the mayor was still digesting the information that she had just been given. Nicole squeezed it as they both looked up at the magnificence that was the volcano.

 

Next to her the cups jostled for safety in the cardboard holder they had been placed in as Nicole drove her truck through the town the next morning.

‘Hello Waverly…’ she practised. ‘Hello… Waverly.’ She waved to a member of the community as she turned the corner changing her nervous smile into one of expected pleasantries. Once they were gone, she returned to the pressing task at hand. ‘Hi Waverly…’ she cringed at her latest attempt. ‘Oh come on woman, pull yourself together.’ She took a deep breath as she drew nearer. ‘Hi Waverly, I thought you might like some coffee…’ As she reached the motel, she pulled the car into the parking lot and one of the spaces. ‘… it’s just coffee… just deliver the coffee.’ She turned the key in the engine and jumped out of the truck.

‘Good morning Mayor Haught!’ the happy greeting caused her to almost jump out of her skin as she turned to see Jeremy, one of the members of the team smiling from near the door.

‘Good morning,’ she smiled back retrieving the coffee from the passenger seat.

Jeremy’s eyes widened when he saw what was in Nicole’s hand, ‘have you brought coffee?’ Like a puppy, he followed her as she went into the offices where Gus and the rest of the team were unpacking their equipment which had just arrived.

‘I didn’t know what everyone would like,’ Nicole said to them all. ‘So I brought a latte, Americano, mocha, espresso…’ slowly the cups disappeared as the team took them gratefully. ‘But one I did know…’ she turned to Waverly who was sitting at a desk almost trying to avoid her shyly, ‘regular coffee?’ Waverly took it and returned to studying what was on the screen in front of her. She had no idea why she was reacting the way she was. It was the first time in years she had been overcome in this way.

Rosita noticed it immediately. ‘You’re totally into the mayor aren’t you?’ she whispered leaning down to Waverly’s ear. Waverly said nothing. Instead, hiding a little smile, she glanced sideways and enjoyed the back view she was currently getting as Nicole talked to Gus on the other side of the room. ‘Oh man, she is smoking… you totally should go for it.’ Waverly continued to say nothing but leaned back in her chair sipping her coffee to show Rosita that she was listening.

‘Well I better leave you all to it,’ Nicole said handing the last cup of coffee to a waiting Jeremy. Having been patiently hovering whilst Nicole had spoken to Gus, he ripped the top of the cup off and breathed in the smell he enjoyed so much. The others shook their heads at their strange but adorable colleague. ‘If you need anything, please let me know.’ She smiled at them all, but made sure it was directed last at Waverly who met her gaze before she disappeared out of the door.

The others hadn’t noticed, but Rosita had seen the entire thing, ‘she digs you…’ Waverly rolled her eyes and looked back at the computer screen. However, as the numbers and readings changed and altered on the chart, she wasn’t concentrating on them at all.

 

‘There, that should do it…’ Dolls said proudly as he, Doc and Waverly worked on the side of the mountain near the top. ‘Doc?’ Beside him, Doc started jumping. Dolls looked at the laptop screen next to him and saw that it was successfully registering all of Doc’s impact on the seismometer. ‘If this baby so much as hiccups, we’re going to know about it.’ Kneeling by the kit that had been placed in a hole dug into the ground, Waverly placed the lid on top and sealed it to protect it from the elements.

‘So I see you have been checking out the local scenery,’ Dolls directed at Waverly after sharing a glance with Doc.

By his tone, Waverly already knew what they were referring to, ‘I don’t know what you are talking about gentlemen,’ she said with a sigh as she ensured the seal was tight before getting to her feet.

‘Oh come on… you think we didn’t see how she smiled at you?’ Dolls laughed as he began to pack up the kit.

‘Now you know what my powers of match making are and…’ before he had even finished Dolls and Waverly had already started laughing in disbelief. ‘What?’

‘Your powers of match making?’ Waverly questioned.

‘Hey… it’s not my fault that things didn’t quite hit it off with Rachel…’ Doc said pointing. ‘You were both into the same things… it was meant to be… she was into rocks!’

‘Crystals,’ Waverly protested. ‘She was into crystals not rocks… making her very different to me.’

‘Seriously man…’ Dolls agreed with a little groan as he picked up one of the cases they had brought with them. ‘You have to give up the match making thing…’

‘Okay… but this mayor… please agree with me on this,’ Doc continued.

Dolls looked at Doc and then at Waverly, ‘she is so into you…’

Waverly sighed, she actually enjoyed what they were saying, but knew that subtlety was not one of their strongest attributes, ‘if that is the case, does this mean you are going to be unbearable every time she visits the office?’

‘No… we will be on our best behaviour… promise,’ Dolls grinned. As Waverly studied him warily, she wasn’t entirely convinced.

‘I’m just happy that you’re even considering this,’ Doc said placing an arm around Waverly’s shoulders as they made their way down the mountain path to the waiting jeep. ‘I completely understand how hard it has been for you… we just all want to see you happy and moving on.’ He stopped to place a kiss on her forehead. As she watched him load their kit into the back of the truck she smiled touched by his words before joining him in the jeep as it drove them down the long descent of the mountainside.


	5. Chapter 5

 

‘Careful with it!’ Doc cried as the group worked together to lower the great piece of metal down off the truck and onto the concrete of the parking lot. ‘Careful!’ It was only when all of its four feet were on the ground that the team felt they could breathe. Doc stood back and admired the strange looking creation with a thick silver body, four legs and a camera for a head. ‘Isn’t she marvellous?’

‘Big heap of junk is what she is,’ Rosita commented mockingly. Doc flashed her glare despite knowing that it was a joke.

‘Will this actually work this time? Gus questioned.

‘With a few minor tweaks to the legs, which I have made, this little baby will venture where no other robot has ever gone before,’ Doc grinned.

‘Uh huh,’ Gus retorted before going back inside and joining Jeremy in front of the equipment that would control the robot. Four screens flashes in front of them, all from the cameras positioned in the robot’s body, the main view being the one from the camera position above its body. ‘How’s it looking Chetri?’

Jeremy wasn’t focusing on the robot, he had spotted something in the distance shown on one of the screens, ‘coffee!’ he cried. He zoomed the camera in to where Nicole was getting out of her truck carrying a tray of take away coffee cups. ‘It’s coffee time… coffee coffee coffee,’ he began to sing. He looked at Gus who was unmoved but a little concerned about her colleague. Jeremy conversely was unperturbed by her expression and continued to bounce his head from side to side gleefully. ‘Coffee!’

‘Good morning,’ Nicole smiled as she began to dish out the coffees now made to order. ‘Extra strong latte…’ she said handing it to Doc. ‘Double espresso,’ she gave to Dolls. ‘Skinny mocha…’ for Rosita. Then her attention came to Waverly who was working on a technical hitch she had spotted with one of the robot’s legs. ‘Regular coffee?’

Waverly looked round and saw Nicole’s slender legs first and followed them up to meet Nicole’s eyes. She swallowed nervously and stood up slowly so she could take the coffee cup.

It was like all the air had been sucked out of her, ‘thank you,’ she managed to say.

Unknown to her, Nicole felt the same as she stared back, ‘so… what is this thing?’

Waverly was relieved to have something to talk about. She pulled her eyes away from Nicole’s and turned to face the robot, ‘this… is Spider-Legs.’

‘Spider-Legs?’ Nicole chuckled. As she saw Jeremy appear from inside, she simply held out his coffee cup for him to take. Holding it in his hands, he bowed in thanks then disappeared back into the offices.

‘It’s Doc’s creation… she will go in when it’s too dangerous for us…’ Waverly explained. ‘We’re just not all too convinced that she’s actually going to work.’

Doc gasped dramatically, ‘oh ye of little faith… of course she’ll work! Jeremy!’

‘Ready!’ came the call from inside.

Doc picked up the controls and flipped them on. Everyone watched as Spider-Legs took two awkward steps forward then stopped and struggled. The team looked away amused, some covering their sniggers behind their hands, and Nicole raised an eyebrow. ‘Stupid thing,’ Doc muttered. He went round to the side of it and tried to see what was wrong. He tried a few of the switches on his controls but nothing happened. ‘Damnit!’ Annoyed he began to kick Spider-Leg’s side.

‘That’s his answer to everything,’ Waverly murmured to Nicole.

‘It’s ELF,’ Doc declared. He put his hands on his hips knowing what he had to do. ‘Right, everybody turn around.’ No one did so he asked again with more force. ‘Turn around!’ They all did as they were told but as soon as Doc’s attention was on Spider-Legs they turned back to watch as he removed a heavy yellow box from one of her sides. He threw it uneasily to one side on the table behind him then picked up the controls and tried again. This time, Spider-Legs moved forward with a lot more ease. ‘Just don’t tell NASA,’ Doc told them as he revelled in his victory.

Inside, Gus and Jeremy played with the controls which allowed them to look round using the various cameras, ‘do you think it’s ready?’ Gus asked warily.

‘Only one way to find out…’ Jeremy stated.

‘Let all hell break loose with a robot tomorrow,’ Gus agreed. She had a horrible feeling about this.

 

With dusk falling around them, Waverly couldn’t help but pay a little more attention to the woman walking beside her then the beauty of the forest. Nicole could feel Waverly’s eyes upon her but felt almost too nervous to look round. Instead she focused on where her feet were treading as they made their way towards the sound of the water. At the edge of the trees, the scenery opened up as the full magnificence of the flowing river came into view. In the fading light it tumbled lazily down the mountainside over the rocks. As Waverly’s eyes followed it she could see the bridge further down near where Nicole’s coffee shop looked out over it. She closed her eyes to listen to the sound and enjoyed the fact that apart from the distant sound of the odd car there was nothing else.

‘Come this way,’ Nicole said gently taking Waverly’s hand. She led Waverly to where a few stones stuck out of the water. She hopped across them to a larger rock which jutted out over where the river dropped a little in a small water fall only about a foot high. Carefully, she climbed on top but didn’t let go of Waverly’s hand so she could help her up. As they stood looking out over the view, it felt like the water was all around them even though they were only a couple of meters from the edge of the large river. The view was simply stunning as Waverly looked out over the valley. The town’s lights were in the distance and sparkled like fairy lights amongst the trees. ‘I come here… when it all gets too much,’ Nicole told her. ‘Reminds me that the world is so much bigger than we are.’

‘And so much more beautiful…’ Waverly had been all over the world, but she had to admit that sometimes the most spectacular places are those in the country of your own home.

Nicole looked up at the mountain then back at Waverly. There was only one beautiful thing that she was interested in and she was already worrying about it. ‘You be careful, when you go up there tomorrow.’ Waverly glanced up at Nicole and saw the look of worry on her face. ‘I know it’s the robot that’s going in, but you’re still going to be up there…’

Touched, Waverly observed Nicole’s hand hanging by her side. Slowly, she brought her own to it. Both women watched as their fingers made contact. It was clear they were both anxious the other might not want it but they both did. Gradually, their hands clasped each other’s and their fingers entwined delicately. Waverly took a deep breath before beholding Nicole again. ‘I’ll be careful,’ she promised. She squeezed Nicole’s hand hoping it would give her more reassurance. It didn’t, but Nicole appreciated the gesture. After sharing a smile, both women enjoyed the feel of their hands in each other’s as they turned back to enjoy the view.

 

Standing on the edge of the volcano staring down into its crater, Waverly couldn’t help but be a little apprehensive. The wind around herself and Doc as they balanced with Spider-Legs on the ledge only about a meter wide had whipped up and was causing her to feel rather unsteady. Despite being tied up, Waverly’s long hair flicked against her face as the moderate gale played with it.

‘You guys are going to eat your words when this baby goes in,’ Doc said as he knelt down beside the robot. He put the last few tweaks to one of its legs before stepping back. The robot stood just off the ledge ready to begin its walk down into the crater whilst Doc joined Waverly on the ledge.

Back in the office, Jeremy and Gus watched from the view of the camera, ‘how’s it looking up there?’ Gus asked into the radio in her hand. ‘I’m not liking the look of those gusts around you…’

Hearing her boss in her ear, Waverly looked around her, ‘it’s manageable at the moment Gus, we’ll keep you posted.’ She exchanged a look with Doc who could also hear Gus in his own ear piece. She could tell that Doc did not want to come down from the mountain yet without giving Spider-Legs a proper run out.

‘Okay,’ Doc breathed out picking up the controls. ‘Here we go.’

From her seat, Gus turned to Jeremy, ‘let’s see if this heap of junk is any good then…’

With a long breath out Doc flipped the robot into life and it began to walk forward down the mountain. Its motions were clunky but consistent allowing it to take steady steps down the volcano’s crater whilst Waverly and Doc watched from above.

‘Ha!’ Doc cried out in delight. ‘See… it works!’

‘Don’t get too carried away yet…’ Waverly warned him watching the robot with her hands on her hips.

‘Zoom into the lava dam,’ Gus told Jeremy who had his hands on the camera controls. He did as he was told. On Spider-Legs the camera whizzed and buzzed as its lenses focused in. ‘That looks pretty quiet,’ Gus commented as it became clearer on the screen. ‘See anything Jeremy?’

‘No, looks pretty calm,’ he agreed.

‘What about that bit over there?’ Gus said pointing to the screen. Jeremy moved the camera and zoomed in further. As soon as he did so, Gus shook her head. ‘No… its nothing. Calm as a mill pond.’

‘Which smokes,’ Jeremy retorted.

‘Don’t get smart with me,’ Gus warned him with a smirk.

Jeremy allowed himself to laugh before he realised there was a glitch occurring, ‘uh oh… Houston… we might have a problem…’

‘Oh shit,’ Doc groaned as it looked down as one of Spider-Legs’ from legs appeared to be stuck and malfunctioning. He stared at his controls trying to make something happen but the robot was no longer walking forward and simply titling back and forth on the spot. ‘Bloody thing!’

‘Told you to not get carried away,’ Waverly said a little too happily.

Doc threw the controls down and stood with his hands on his hips glaring down at his stranded creation, ‘I’m going down there…’

‘Er… no… not a good idea…’ Waverly said as Doc picked up a rope and attached it to his harness. Both he and Waverly were wearing orange jumpsuits, both with harnesses.

‘No Doc… no, not a good idea,’ Jeremy repeated in the radio as he and Gus used the camera to look back up at the pair standing on the ledge.

‘Just leave it behind,’ Waverly told him as Doc checked that the rope was secure and handed it to Waverly.

‘£450,000 worth of equipment?’ he cried. ‘I’m not leaving that behind.’

‘This is not going to end well,’ Jeremy said as he and Gus watched as Doc began to climb down into the crater with Waverly supporting him by slowly letting the rope glide through her hands.

‘If anyone should be climbing down it should be Waverly, how is she going to support his weight?’ Gus asked also growing in concern.

‘I’ll have you know I work out Gus, fifty push ups every morning… you know that’s been my routine for years…’ Waverly laughed as she realised Gus might have forgotten that her radio was still on. In the office, the face Gus made to Jeremy showed that clearly she had. Jeremy bit his lip in humour at the situation.

Doc reached Spider-Legs and tried to examine what had gone wrong but without his tools he was unable to do the intricate things he desired. Instead, he had to resort to standing back and giving it a good few clean kicks in the side.

‘Work, you stupid piece of crap!’ he shouted as he did so.

‘Doc’s answer to everything… kick the darn thing,’ Gus sighed.

With a groan, Doc stepped back and saw there was nothing he could do from the side he was on, ‘I’m going to have to go off rope,’ he called back up to Waverly.

‘Er no… even worse idea… even worse idea!’ Jeremy shouted at the computer screen.

‘Doc… please…’ Waverly started but she was too late. ‘Okay…’ she kept her grip on the rope as she watched Doc carefully clamber over the surrounding rocks to get to the other side of the robot. It had only just reached the other side when she suddenly felt the ground tremor beneath her feet.

Back at the office, Dolls looked up from his desk, ‘did anyone feel that?’

In the next second, a quake hit that knocked Waverly off her feet. In the office, the walls swayed and files fell from the shelves. However, none of those within the building cared about themselves. Horrified, they scrambled to look at the computer screen to see Doc dive underneath a large rock for cover, but it did not protect his legs as rocks cascaded down the crater and landed all around him. The sickening sound of a scream of pain echoed around the crater and down his radio into the office.

‘Waverly!’ Gus screamed into her radio as the shaking subsided as quickly as it had started.

‘Yeah, I hear you…’ she was already making her way down the crater. Having tied the rope off at the top she was using it to make her way to Doc as quickly as she could. She reached him within a minute. ‘Okay, Doc’s down Doc’s down, he’s breathing and awake but I think we have a broken leg here…’

‘Okay Waves, we’ll send a chopper,’ Gus acknowledged. She nodded to Dolls who picked up the phone to dial.

‘You idiot,’ Waverly groaned at Doc as she began to move the rocks away from his legs. Blood poured from a wound on his head but this was not bothering him as he cried out in agony from his leg which was buried under the rock fall.

‘You what?’ Dolls cried down the phone. ‘Oh… come on…’ he placed the phone against his shoulder and looked to Gus. ‘The son of a bitch pilot wants to renegotiate his rate.’

Infuriated, Gus ran a hand through her hair. She knew she had no choice, ‘just give him whatever he wants!’

It seemed like an age before Waverly heard the sound of the helicopter’s blades in the air above them. Now sitting beside Doc underneath the rock to comfort him, she peered out to see the nose of the craft come into view.

‘Okay, I’m just coming into the crater,’ came the voice of the pilot in their ear pieces.

‘We’re on the South face about 600 feet below you,’ Waverly shouted into her microphone. She carefully manoeuvred herself out to wave at him.

‘Alright, I see you… I’m going to bring her around a drop a rope so I can haul you out of there!’ he moved the helicopter away to circle back and as he came round again Waverly caught a glimpse of a rope lowering itself out of the sky.

‘I am very very ready!’ Waverly told him.

In the office, Dolls and Rosita had joined Jeremy and Gus at the desk where they could watch what was unfolding on the screen. Somehow, despite the deluge of rocks the camera had remained operational and was continuing to show them everything that was unfolding in the crater. As they watched, they saw the rope from the helicopter come into view just above Waverly’s head.

‘Catch it… come on Waves, catch it…’ Rosita breathed out.

To their relief, Waverly got it first time, ‘oh way to go Waverly!’ Jeremy cried.

‘Okay… we have to go Doc,’ Waverly said as she attached the line to Doc then to herself. As the helicopter began to lift them up Waverly wrapped her arms around Doc as he buried his head into her shoulder; his leg dangling unsupported in the air as they were taken away from the crater was excruciating. ‘Go! Go go go!’ Waverly screamed into her mic as she held him tightly. With no more hesitation, the helicopter wrenched them as gently as it could into the air and took them to safety.

 


	6. Chapter 6

 

Shaking, Waverly pulled her arms out of her orange jumpsuit as the rest of the team helped to lift Doc into the waiting ambulance. His leg now supported and wrapped up as he lay in a stretcher, Doc was gratefully accepting the offering of gas and air. Dolls closed the ambulance doors securely and gave them a firm tap to let them know. Upon his instruction, the ambulance drove off leaving the rest of the group by the lake.

‘We have to call a meeting!’ Waverly insisted as Gus approached.

‘Look Waverly, I know it was intense up there but…’

‘Those quakes were not tectonic they were magmatic, we HAVE to put the town on alert,’ Waverly cried furious pointing at the mountain.

‘We are not doing anything Waverly Earp!’ Gus snapped getting increasingly agitated. ‘Now Doc is fine and nothing that happened up there suggests that the mountain is going to blow up… now, for goodness sake girl, get a grip!’ She left one steely glare lingering before walking away back to her jeep.

‘Son of a…’ Waverly muttered underneath her breath turning away. Next to her, Rosita loitered for just a moment. ‘I’m okay…’ Waverly assured her allowing Rosita to walk away leaving Waverly to her thoughts.

‘Waverly!’ the sound of Nicole’s voice coming from down the bank of the lake was just the calming tonic she needed. The shorter woman had barely turned before she was enveloped in an embrace. ‘I heard what happened.’ She backed away to examine Waverly who was a little dust covered and wind blown but otherwise unharmed. ‘You okay?’

‘I’m fine,’ Waverly replied enjoying the feel of Nicole’s hands cupping her face. ‘Just Doc…’

‘A broken leg?’ Nicole looked over to where the ambulance was now disappearing out of sight down the winding road away from the lake. ‘The hospital isn’t far, he’ll be there soon…’ she turned back to Waverly and stroked her face. She knew it was probably way too soon for such an intimate touch but she couldn’t help it after thinking during the drive over that the person who had fallen on the mountain had been Waverly. ‘Come on… I’ll take you to the hospital so you can see him.’ She wrapped an arm around a trembling Waverly, partly due to shock at the experience but also due to anger at Gus, and led her over to where her truck was parked.

 

Despite his head being bandaged and leg in plaster, the smile on Doc’s face as he lay in the hospital bed assured the group gathered around that he was fine.

‘The nurse says I have to stay in for a day just to check my head is fine…’ Doc told his friends.

‘Well okay, see you in four years then…’ Rosita joked as she let go of his hand pretending to walk out of the door. Doc rolled his eyes and shot a playfully unamused look at her. At the other end, Jeremy and Dolls were already attempting to write and draw the most ridiculous and silly things they could on his cast.

‘Hey! I have to walk around in public with this thing!’ Doc shouted at them seeing what they were up to.

‘You should never be allowed out in public, now we’re just making sure of it,’ Dolls shot back.

As the group fell into laughter, Waverly sat on the other side of the bed looking deep in thought and not sharing in the joke, ‘guys, I think we have a problem here…’ their laughter stopped as they all looked over at her. ‘We have to convince Gus that there is something going on here and that we have to put the town on alert.’

The rest of the team shared a few awkward glances before Rosita took it upon herself to speak up, ‘Waverly, other than a quake and some raised readings, there is honestly nothing to get your tits in twist about…’

‘Rosita, ever the wordsmith,’ Dolls stated. ‘But she’s right… we’ve seen this before. Just the mountain craving some attention but nothing says eruption…’

Hiding her annoyance, Waverly sat up straighter in her chair, ‘my Science teacher once told me that if you were to put a frog into boiling water it would feel the heat and jump out, but if you were to place it in cold water and slowly heat it up, the frog would never suspect anything and would slowly boil to death…’

‘What’s that Waves?’ Jeremy asked a little disgusted. ‘Your recipe for frog soup?’

Waverly ignored their comments, ‘if we were to arrive here today, now and saw all of these things that have happened we would know we were in hot water and see there’s a problem…’

Once again, the group looked between themselves, ‘we have to look at the facts Waves… let’s see what the science tells us when we get back.’

 

With another chart thrust in front of her Waverly was beginning to get the message loud and clear. Still, she took the paper and studied it. She wasn’t sure why she was so desperate to see evidence that the mountain was going to blow up, she certainly didn’t want anything to happen to the town or to the life that Nicole had built. She suspected it was because she was so sure it was going to happen, the gut feeling churning inside her, that she wanted to get everybody out now.

‘Sorry Waverly,’ Gus shrugged. ‘There is nothing to suggest that anything is going to happen.’ Waverly looked round at the other faces looking at her. They all wore the same expression that it was just something she would have to face. ‘We have to face facts and tomorrow, we’re going home.’ She threw the chart paper down onto the table behind her ushering the rest of the team out of the room. Waverly didn’t follow. She looked down at the chart paper with a horrible feeling of dread building in the pit of her stomach. As she thought on it longer, she wondered if it was the fact she was wrong, or the fact that she was leaving.

 

Lining the shot up, Waverly tried to concentrate on the cue in her hand. However, as she looked down it, its line led to the bar where a red head sat enjoying her drink and talking to some of the town’s people. Even though her attention should have been on them, Nicole couldn’t help but be distracted as she glanced over at where Waverly still hadn’t taken her shot.

‘Er… today please Earp,’ Jeremy laughed as he leaned on his cue near her.

Waverly had to linger a few more moments to exchange a smile with the mayor before she looked back down at the cue and tried to take the shot. She missed it horribly, much to Jeremy’s delight.

‘Yes!’ he cried out.

‘Okay… alright…’ Waverly laughed putting her hands up in defeat. ‘So what do I owe you? Ten bucks?’

‘Twenty,’ Jeremy corrected her.

Twenty!?’ Waverly checked as she fished it out of her pocket. ‘Wow, you are an expensive man to play… enjoy!’ she slammed it down on the pool table playfully. Jeremy picked it up and kissed it victoriously, beating Waverly at pool wasn’t something he was used to.

‘New game?’ Doc asked as Waverly placed her cue down on the table.

Waverly could already feel Nicole’s gaze lingering on her, ‘not this time guys,’ with a wave to her friends she collected her drink and made her way over to Nicole.

‘Sorry I made you miss your shot,’ Nicole giggled as Waverly sat down next to her.

‘Ah there’s a lot of things distracting me these days…’ Waverly replied coyly.

Nicole’s eyes fell, ‘yeah, I hear you guys are leaving tomorrow…’

Waverly also looked disheartened, ‘so says the boss,’ she nodded. ‘It’s good though, it means that there’s nothing to worry about here. Your mountain is safe and so is your town. Us not being here is a good thing…’

‘For some,’ Nicole cut in. Their eyes met intensely before Nicole suddenly found it too painful and had to pull away. ‘I should go… I need to let my babysitter get home.’

‘I’ll walk you,’ Waverly offered.

Although they knew they were being watched by very inquisitive eyes, both women threw their jackets around their shoulders and made their way out of the bar together.

 

‘What time do you leave tomorrow?’ Nicole asked as they walked across the bridge towards Nicole’s shop and home. She didn’t really want to know the answer, but she didn’t want the sad silence between them either.

‘6am,’ Waverly answered. She walked with her hands shoved into her pockets, but it wasn’t where she wanted them.

‘Wow…’ Nicole took a long inhale in then let it go. ‘I wish you weren’t leaving.’

‘It’s fine,’ Waverly said. ‘The mountain is safe and so are your children… as I said, it’s good when Geographical Survey team leave. We’re one of those teams where you don’t put ‘Thank You and hope to see you again soon’ in the card.’

Nicole bowed her head as she chuckled then stopped walking, ‘I still wish you weren’t leaving.’

Waverly stopped to face her. She gazed up into the taller woman’s eyes and felt exactly the same, ‘we shouldn’t do this…’ She almost mentally punched herself, wondering why the words had come out of her mouth.

However, Nicole understood, ‘I know… but I can still want to.’ Carefully, she reached forward and took one of Waverly’s hands out of the pocket it was hiding in. Using it, she pulled Waverly closer. ‘Can’t I still want to?’

‘Yes…’ Waverly breathed out. Then her mouth couldn’t form anything else as she gazed up at Nicole.

Slowly, Nicole’s chest rose and fell heavily as she moved her hand to Waverly’s face. Everything around them dropped away as Waverly welcomed the tender touch of Nicole’s fingers against her check. She could hear Nicole’s breathing and it was mesmerising.

‘Well hello you too!’ The cry caused the two to step away as a blonde haired woman grinned and waved from her car as she sped past.

Nicole rolled her eyes, ‘Jane Fonda… town gossip… that’ll give her something to talk about for a couple of weeks.’

 

Waverly watched as Nicole walked a little flustered into the kitchen. The volcanologist knew that this was a bad idea, but a pull inside her had made sure that she hadn’t walked away once they had reached Nicole’s front door. When Nicole had nervously asked if she wanted to come in, there was nothing in Waverly that compelled her to say no.

‘Water? Do you want water?’ Nicole asked taking off her jacket and placing it on the chair. Waverly just stepped forward unable to look away. ‘No? Coffee… I’ll make us some coffee…’

As she went to move past Waverly to get to the coffee machine, Waverly placed her arm around Nicole’s stomach to stop her and spin her round. ‘You know what?’ Waverly said as she ran her fingers through Nicole’s hair just by her face. ‘I never really cared for your coffee.’

‘No?’ Nicole asked running her tongue across her lips.

‘No,’ Waverly stated again shaking her head subtly. She cupped Nicole’s face gently, running both thumbs over her checks before sliding her hands down either side of Nicole’s neck and resting them on the mayor’s shoulders. Having been somewhat frozen to the spot, Nicole closed her eyes at Waverly’s soft caress and moved her hands to Waverly’s hips to gently pull her in so their bodies were marginally closer. ‘You nervous?’ The brunette asked as their lips grew closer in anticipation.

‘Yes…’ Nicole admitted. ‘It’s been a long time…’

‘Well you know what they say…’ Waverly smiled moving her hands back to Nicole’s face so she could pull her in. ‘It’s like riding a bike, once you’ve learnt you never…’ Nicole didn’t let her finish the sentence as she pressed her lips gently into Waverly’s. The softness of the kiss was enjoyed by both women as they pressed their bodies lightly into each other. Nicole let the moment linger before she broke away only to kiss Waverly again more firmly. Cupping her hands around Nicole’s neck, Waverly showed her approval and leaned up into it. It wasn’t long before more passion began to seep into their embrace.

‘Forget?’ Nicole smirked a little breathlessly between kisses. Waverly couldn’t even find words; she simply nodded as their lips came together again. Nicole realised that Waverly still had her jacket on and had to help her out of it. It dropped to the floor in seconds before their hands were back on each other again. It was only a few fervent kisses later that they both voicelessly agreed that they had to lose more clothes. After a check with the eyes and a gentle tug, at Waverly’s nod, Nicole pulled Waverly’s t-shirt over her head. This was quickly followed by Nicole’s shirt as Waverly undid the buttons and drew it off her arms. Their eyes absorbed each other’s slender bodies before their lips yearned to reconnect. Both complied as they fell into each other’s arms, Nicole pushing Waverly up against the counter. Waverly buried her hands into Nicole’s hair as Nicole ran one hand up Waverly’s slim right thigh to her waist.

‘Mummy?’

The sleepy voice caused Nicole and Waverly to fall apart.

‘Shit,’ Waverly muttered under her breath. She grabbed her t-shirt off the floor and dived out of sight holding it to cover her front.

Nicole glanced up to see Lauren rubbing her eyes at the top of the stairs. She took the opportunity to pull on her shirt and rescue the situation with a few buttons, ‘yeah honey?’

‘I’m thirsty…’ Lauren said coming down a few steps.

‘Okay sweetie, go back to bed and I’ll bring some right up…’ Nicole told her leaning against the wall to cover where Waverly was cowering. She couldn’t help but be amused by the situation as she bit her lip to stop from giggling.

Nicole waited until Lauren had turned around and moved back into her room before turning to Waverly. The two just stared at each other lustfully frustrated by the interruption. As Waverly was leaning against the wall, still holding her shirt over her upper body, Nicole moved in front and slowly leant in pressing their hips together, ‘Don’t you put that shirt back on… I’m sure once I give her the water, she’ll go right back to sleep.’

‘She better,’ Waverly said biting her lip again. She accepted Nicole’s kiss then watched as the red head skipped across the room to the sink. ‘She called you mummy?’

‘Yeah she does that sometimes when she wakes up in the night… I think in that moment she forgets,’ Nicole told her sensing the confusion as she collected a glass from the cupboard. ‘Breaks my heart.’ As Waverly listened and thought of the little girl, it broke hers too.

However, unable to take her eyes off the line of Nicole’s figure, other thoughts were clouding her mind as she crossed the kitchen to stand behind her. She cast her t-shirt aside on a chair as she past it and ran a finger down Nicole’s back as the mayor moved to the sink to turn on the taps. The moment she did, dirty brown liquid spat out into the glass. ‘Ergh.. what’s wrong with the water?’ Loathed to break Waverly’s touch, Nicole turned and handed her the glass.

Now Waverly’s thoughts were torn to something else, she took the glass and sniffed it. She didn’t like what she detected and recoiled back away from it. Concerned she dropped her hand from Nicole’s back, ‘where’s the town’s water supply?’

 


	7. Chapter 7

 

Simultaneously, Nicole switched on the side lamp and threw back the covers to wake up Graham, ‘come on, we have to go,’ she urged giving him a shake.

‘Go away,’ he groaned into his pillow not moving.

Sternly, Nicole gripped is upper arm, ‘I’m not kidding around, you have to get up now.’ At the sound of her firm voice, Graham forced himself up and turned around. ‘Just get some clothes on and come +downstairs as soon as you can.’ Understanding that this was serious, Graham began pulling on some jeans and a t-shirt as Nicole made her way back downstairs.

‘You alright?’ Waverly asked as she clattered down the stairs back into the kitchen. Lauren sat sleepily in one of the kitchen chairs.

‘Just trying to find the keys,’ Nicole told her as she dashed past. She rushed to the other side of the kitchen to a side unit and began fumbling through the contents of the drawers. ‘Dammit… where are they?’ she slammed one shut and wrenched open another. ‘Oh thank god,’ she mumbled as the silver she needed to see came into view. She then returned to the foot of the stairs. ‘Graham!’

‘I’m coming!’ came his irritated voice as he appeared at the top pulling on his second trainer.

‘Hey,’ Waverly whispered moving to Nicole’s side. Evidently shaken, Nicole glanced sideways back at her. ‘It’ll be okay… we’ve got this…’ She placed a hand softly on Nicole’s arm and stroked it with her thumb. ‘You’ve got this…’ Nicole’s pounding heart began to slow a little as she found solace in brown eyes. Behind them, Lauren’s eyes had opened to catch a glimpse of the moment being shared. She frowned a little confused.

‘I’m here,’ Graham announced as he reached the bottom step.

‘Right, let’s go,’ Nicole said. She placed her hand on Waverly’s momentarily to show that she recognised her gesture. Then it was time to go. ‘Come on Lauren.’ With a tired groan, Lauren got herself to her feet and, along with Graham and Waverly, was bundled out of the door and into the truck outside.

 

Leaving Lauren slumped on her brother in the back; Waverly followed Nicole up the short bank to the blue metal door sticking out of the side of a cliff face. It fitted that town’s water supply would come from such a natural source as it was situated at the foot of a mountain. Waverly held the torch to help Nicole locate the correct key and unlock the heavy door. It creaked as Nicole turned the handle and strained it open. The smell that lingered inside hit them like a smack in the face.

‘Oh god what’s that smell? It smells like sulphur,’ Nicole gasped as they edged inside.

Waverly held her hand out underneath where some of the water was dripping through the rock in the ceiling and brought it to her nose. In disgust, she recoiled and shook her hand to shake as much of the water off as she could, ‘we saw exactly the same thing in another volcano in the Philippines before she blew… it’s the same,’ she turned to face Nicole with a serious expression. ‘This mountain is a ticking time bomb.’ Nicole’s breath got caught in her throat as she realised the gravity of Waverly’s words. Her thought was immediately of the two children in the back of her truck sitting just outside then to all the people that lived in the town at the foot of the volcano.

 

Bewildered, Gus threw back the covers as the ceaseless banging ripped through the serenity of the night. After switching on her side lamp, she trudged across her hotel room and unhooked the chain in the door. She had barely turned the handle before Waverly burst in past her.

‘Waverly?’ Gus saw that Nicole was standing right behind her looking a little awkward. ‘Waverly, what are you doing?’

‘I’ve got the scientific evidence you need,’ Waverly said stoically as she marched past to Gus’ bathroom.

‘Waverly, it’s two in the morning… surely this can wait?’

Waverly looked back briefly but did not stop walking, ‘no it cannot.’ In the bathroom, she grabbed one of Gus’ glasses and filled with the same brown water which had spurted from the taps at Nicole’s. She held it up to show Gus as her boss joined her in the bathroom. ‘It’s the same…’

Gus took the glass and sniffed it. Her face fell. ‘Oh my god.’

‘Do you believe me now?’ Waverly asked unable to hide her frustration. Gus just stared at her; she didn’t know what to say.

‘What do we do?’ Nicole asked instead now standing in the doorway.

Gus knew she had to bury her pride and forget that she was wrong. ‘Don’t you worry, we will do everything we can to guide you into making sure that everyone in your town gets out safely… we’ve done this lots of times.’ She turned to Waverly. ‘We need to get to the office now.’

Waverly nodded hurriedly and made her way out of Gus’ hotel room pulling Nicole behind her. Once outside, Nicole pulled her back, ‘Waverly…’ despite the chaos going on in her mind, the volcanologist was able to calm her thoughts as she took in Nicole’s frightened expression. ‘Is this really happening?’ She looked around at her town which slept silently blissfully unaware of the impending danger.

Waverly smiled sympathetically at the mayor and placed a hand on her cheek, ‘it’ll be okay… like I said, I will do anything I can to make sure you and those children get out.’ Nicole took Waverly’s hand in her own and kissed it holding onto it tightly. Waverly wished she could stay and comfort Nicole more, but to fulfil her promise she had to commit to her job, ‘I have to go…’

‘What do I do?’ Nicole asked scared.

‘Once we know what’s happening here, you get those children home and start packing. Let them sleep if they need to… then start making arrangements for a meeting as I doubt Gus will disagree that this town now needs to be on alert,’ Waverly told her.

‘Isn’t the mountain going to blow up soon?’ Nicole pressed.

‘Yes but I won’t know anything about exactly when until me and my team start analysing the data coming in…’ she stepped in pulling Nicole in close. ‘As soon as I know anything, I’ll be right out to tell you.’ She wrapped her hands around Nicole’s neck cradling her tightly. ‘Just focus on those children and your job. We’ll do this together.’

Overcome, Nicole leant down and brought their lips together in a short chaste kiss, before Waverly was forced to leave her arms. She watched the volcanologist return to the building then was relieved to see that both children were fast asleep in the back of her truck. She would hide what was happening from them as long as possible; at least for them to enjoy one last peaceful sleep.

 

‘What, are you kidding?’ Everyone in the office looked at Dolls as he raged into the mouth piece. ‘Okay, just get here as soon as you can.’ With anger, he slammed the phone down and closed his eyes.

‘Tell me… now,’ Gus said from across the room.

‘The National Guard can’t get here until the morning…’ Dolls told them all.

Horrified, all eyes fell on their boss, who was obviously as troubled as them, ‘it’ll have to do… Rosita, what are our readings?’

On the other side of the room, Rosita was pulling chart paper off the printer, ‘going up all over the show Gus, quakes are swarming…’

‘Jeremy?’ Gus said whirling round to face him.

‘Sulphur is going up, carbon dioxide is going up… the trailers have started for the show,’ he declared.

Standing next to her, Waverly just waited for Gus to say what she desperately wanted to hear, ‘we’re putting this town on alert. Waverly, you call the mayor and I will call the FAA.’

The moment she said it, Waverly tore out of the office where Nicole was pacing outside. As the sun was beginning to rise over the hills that surrounding the volcano, Graham and Lauren remained blissfully unaware as they continued to sleep in the truck.

‘Nicole…’ The mayor spun at her name. ‘Put this town on alert now.’

Nicole took a moment to take this in, ‘okay, we have an evacuation plan. I will call the council together and we will get things moving straight away.’

Waverly could see she was flustered, but despite her feelings, she knew that she had a job to do, ‘hey…’ however, her desire to comfort Nicole was just as strong. She moved forward so she could touch Nicole’s face. ‘It’ll be okay.’

‘I believe it when you say it.’

‘We just need to do our jobs and we will see this town through this,’ she stroked Nicole’s cheek tenderly for a moment before reluctantly turning away and disappearing back into the office. Nicole watched her go, taking the moment to catch her breath. She had a job to do; all the people sleeping soundly around her were the reminder of just that.

 

As the town woke, they were startled at the sound coming from Wynonna Turner’s police car as it patrolled up and down each road.

‘There will be a meeting at the high school at 3pm to discuss the evacuation of Purgatory’s Peak… I repeat, there will be a meeting at the high school at 3pm to discuss the evacuation of Purgatory’s Peak…’ she stated as calmly as she could into her mic piece. She could hear her own voice coming from the speakers on the roof of her car, but it didn’t sound real. It was something she never thought she would ever have to say.

‘Excuse me!’ came the worried call from a young mother dragging her children across the road by their hands to meet the slow crawling police car.

‘Hi Helen, you alright?’ Wynonna asked bringing the car to a stop.

‘Why are we evacuating?’ she asked concerned.

‘The volcano… she’s making noise,’ Wynonna told her. ‘Don’t worry, we have a team from the United States Geological Survey here and the mayor already has an evacuation plan in place. All details will be told to you at the meeting.’ Wynonna looked at the frightened eyes of the young children at her window. ‘Just get your things packed so you’re all ready to go. I’m sorry, I have to go as I have to make sure everyone knows about the meeting.’ She smiled at Helen before pulling the car carefully away.

Helen watched stunned as the police rolled away down the road calling out the same message it had down when it turned into the residential area.

‘There will be a meeting at the high school at 3pm to discuss the evacuation of Purgatory’s Peak… I repeat, there will be a meeting at the high school at 3pm to discuss the evacuation of Purgatory’s Peak…’

 

‘Look Mum, you don’t understand…’ Nicole was pleading down the phone as Lauren and Graham watched on. ‘Waverly says the mountain is going to blow up so you have to…’

‘I’m not moving and that’s that…’ came the voice from the other end.

‘Mum please… this is not a drill, not some sort of hoax…’ Nicole cried her voice becoming shakier. From behind the counter Waverly watched as the children’s faces became more distressed. ‘Please, think of your grandchildren…’

‘I’m sorry, they were wrong before and they’re wrong now.’

Nicole’s head jumped back as the phone was put down and all she heard was the dial tone. ‘Stupid… stubborn… woman…’ she groaned taking a moment to think.

‘Nicole… we have to go,’ Waverly said gently wary of Lauren and Graham.

Nicole looked at her clearly emotional, ‘I have to try again…’ she picked up the speaker and dialled the number again but as she listened all she heard was the ringing. There was no answer. ‘Oh come on…’ Still nothing. Closing her eyes, she unwillingly put down the phone. She turned to look at Lauren and Graham, ‘I can’t force her to come down from there…’

‘But Nicole…’ Lauren pleaded starting to cry.

Waverly could see there were tears in Nicole’s eyes as well, ‘I know…’ she pulled both children in for a hug. They fell into her arms. ‘But we have to be responsible and that’s what I need from you right now.’ She backed out of the hug but left her hands on the back of their necks. ‘I need you to both pack a suitcase of things because we have to leave town for our safety…’

‘But Grandma…’ Graham said his voice shaking.

‘Just pack that suitcase,’ Nicole told him aware of the time nearing 3 o clock. ‘Please, both of you.’ She kissed them both of them on their foreheads squeezing her eyes together. She was fighting her own pain at the thought of having to leave her mother up on the mountain right in the path of anything it would throw out. ‘I will be right back after the meeting.’

‘Come on…’ Waverly tugged Nicole’s arm lightly.

‘I love you,’ Nicole called back to the children as she followed Waverly out of the door.

Once she was gone, Lauren and Graham turned to the phone. Graham pulled it towards them and picked up the handset as Lauren dialled the number but just as Nicole had before them, all they heard was the dial tone.

 

‘Stupid stubborn bitch!’ Nicole cried as Waverly drove them into town.

‘She really won’t come down?’ Waverly asked.

Nicole slumped back in her seat, ‘she’s always been like this… she just doesn’t listen to anyone and it’s like she doesn’t trust or believe me.’

‘Has the relationship with your mum always been like this?’

‘Since my sister died… it’s just slowly got worse,’ Nicole told her as they neared the high school. ‘It’s like she lost the daughter she really wanted and got stuck with me.’

Carefully, Waverly weaved the car through the hundreds of people that were making their way in the same direction, ‘it can’t be like that… surely?’

‘I don’t know,’ Nicole sighed always gazing out of the window at the people that were counting on her. ‘She clearly didn’t believe me about this mountain.’ She looked at it looming above them. ‘It’s going to kill Lauren and Graham if they lose someone else.’

‘But what about you?’ Waverly asked as she pulled into the high school car park.

‘I can’t think about me,’ Nicole almost laughed as she threw off her seatbelt. ‘I’ve got 20,000 people relying on me, including the two that mean more to me than the world.’ She turned to face Waverly. ‘I have to get them out, that’s all I care about.’

With a soothing smile, Waverly reached over and stroked Nicole’s arm, ‘then let’s do this.’ Nicole enjoyed a moment in Waverly’s eyes before the thought of her responsibilities took over and she was able to pull herself away and out of the truck. Slamming the doors behind them, Waverly and Nicole ran into the high school where the town was waiting for the news it dreaded to hear.


	8. Chapter 8

 

As Nicole looked out across the sea of faces and eyes staring back at her, her heart began to pound in her chest, but she could not show it. They were all looking to her, she was what they needed. After swallowing down her own trepidation, she leaned forward to speak into microphone.

‘Look, I know you’re all scared and you don’t want to leave your homes… but it’s the most responsible thing to do right now,’ she said with care but also insistence. ‘I’ve spent years building up my life here and you were all a part of that, however we have to think of ourselves and our children.’ She reached beside her and picked up one of the booklets lying on the desk. ‘Before you leave, everyone should make sure they pick up a leaflet about our town’s evacuation plan, it will give you all the advice and detail that you need. I’m going to turn the floor over to one of the team from the Geological Survey, Waverly Earp.’

Also feeling the pressure, Waverly inclined forward to her microphone, ‘first of all I would like to thank you all for coming and just to underline that these are precautionary measures, we don’t want to start a panic in any way…’

Just as the words came out of her mouth, the hint of a rumble fluttered underneath their feet.

‘Did you feel that?’ Nicole asked Waverly moving away from her mic.

Waverly didn’t have time to answer, before the flutter turned into a roar which ripped through the gymnasium. Above their heads the roof swung and tiles began to fall onto the screaming citizens below. As one, they all began to push and shove towards the door.

‘Don’t push… please don’t push!’ Waverly implored into the microphone. ‘Please stay calm!’

No one was listening. The fear was already instilled in the fleeing people. Feet pounded the wooden floor as each person added to the surge towards the exit. Standing up, Waverly watched horrified as an elderly man was pushed over but no one stopped to pull him up. The volcanologist dumped her microphone and jumped over the table into the wave going in the other direction. She barged through and managed to reach the stranded man. Using all her strength she pulled him up somehow creating a shield with her small frame. Nicole waited with bated breath until Waverly had assisted the man to the exit.

‘Dad!’ came the relieved cry from the other side. ‘I thought you were behind me!’ A young man swept the elderly gentleman into his arms. ‘Thank you,’ he said to Waverly before wrestling his father away amongst the chaos.

Waverly watched them go for a moment before she turned back, ‘Nicole!’ she cried as the mayor remained on the stage. ‘We have to go!’ At her shout, Nicole tentatively jumped down to join the current of bodies. Waverly held her ground against the wall as people flooded past her. She almost got swept up, but she hung on until Nicole had reached her.

They waited for a break in the flow before Waverly pushed Nicole out of the door first. The torrent of people carried them down the main hallway in the school and out of the main entrance onto the school steps. As another quake hit, Waverly pulled Nicole against a pillar and held on until it had ceased. Once it had she was able to peer around the pillar up at the mountain. What she saw filled her heart with alarm. From its crater dark grey smoke soared into the air high above it filling the sky.

‘Oh god…’ she gasped as she held onto Nicole. Circling, Nicole followed Waverly’s eye line and covered her mouth with shock. ‘Oh no…’

‘We have to get to the kids,’ Nicole said turning back to Waverly.

Waverly’s eyes flitted between the volcano and Nicole. All her instincts were telling her to run, get to the team and do whatever it took to get out of town but her heart was in deep now. ‘Of course,’ she nodded beginning to run. She made sure she took Nicole’s hand to lead her through the screaming mayhem of people. Darting among them they reached the truck. Just as they got in another violent vibration of the ground brought the building across the road to its feet. Bricks scattered and glass exploded all over the road as it toppled to the floor. Down the road cars filled the street as the panic sent them scattering across the town.

Most tried to escape across the bridge not far from where Nicole and Waverly pulled out of the high school car park. Those stranded in the gridlock upon it regretted their decision as another tremor collapsed the pillars on which it stood. Great sections of the concrete bridge disappeared, plummeting into the valley below taking the cars and their occupants with it. The sight took Nicole’s breath away and replaced it with dismay; she would have known every soul in those stricken vehicles.

‘Jesus,’ she wheezed feeling her chest tighten.

‘It’s going to be okay…’ Waverly tried. She knew it was probably useless but she felt compelled to speak.

Nicole was soon distracted as a road sign lost its holding and tumbled into the road, ‘watch out!’ Fortuitously, Waverly had an enough room for a split second so she could swerve. She then had to swerve back quickly to avoid hitting a group of fleeing pedestrians. Ahead of her brake lights appeared in their dozens. ‘Oh god it’s completely blocked up…’ Nicole looked around remembering where she was. ‘Go left…’

‘Down here?’ Waverly checked pointing.

‘Yeah, down here,’ Nicole pointed also before clinging onto her seat again. As Waverly did as instructed, Nicole watched as a group of running people abruptly changed direction as another building’s structure crumpled. To her horror, some didn’t make it and were buried underneath the rubble that cascaded down from above. Trying to erase what she had just seen, Nicole closed her eyes for a moment the terror becoming too overwhelming.

‘Nicole?’ Waverly could see her passenger’s distress. ‘Nicole… don’t give up on me now…’

At her words, Nicole opened her eyes and took a breath, ‘I’m okay… I’m okay…’ she wiped tears from her cheeks and noticed that the road ahead was also blocked. ‘Here!’ she cried pointing. ‘Take the alley… down here.’ Yanking the wheel, Waverly pulled the truck into the alley. For any other car it would have been hopeless but its thicker sturdier frame and glass allowed it to endure the torrent of bricks and shards of debris that rained down upon it as Waverly ripped through the air between the two buildings. When they emerged out the other end they were able to join the traffic moving more freely towards the bridge near Nicole’s shop. Above the sky darkened, the smoke from the volcano now filling its expanse. All around them people, who had abandoned their cars, were escaping on foot carrying anything they could. Drawing nearer to the shop, Nicole’s stomach lurched.

‘My truck’s not there,’ she exclaimed.

Bursting into the shop, Nicole and Waverly searched desperately for any sign of the children.

‘Lauren… Graham!’ Nicole screamed flying into the house attached on the back. Waverly heard her feet hammering up the stairs and around the floor overhead. It was only when Nicole returned to the shop that she saw the note propped up against the phone. She snatched it up and as she read the words, her legs nearly gave way. Waverly arrived just in time to catch her. ‘Oh god, they went up the mountain… Waverly… they went up the mountain.’

Waverly knew they had no time to waste, ‘okay… it’s okay… come on.’ Wrapping her arms around Nicole as another quake shook the shop, she dragged the frightened Nicole out of the building. Her heart was in this now. There was only one place she was going.

 

As if night, all had darkened around the mountain causing the children to need the lights on Nicole’s truck as they raced along the road up to the lake.

‘This was a bad idea,’ Lauren said as Graham gripped the truck’s wheel tightly. He could only just reach the pedals and see over the wheel. ‘We’re going to be in so much trouble.’

‘Look shut up okay,’ Graham snapped back. In truth, he was terrified. ‘We had to get Grandma… this was the only way.’ Lauren looked away. She knew he was right but it didn’t make her feel any less scared. ‘If Nicole asks, it was my idea okay?’

Grateful, Lauren nodded and tried to think about something else. She frowned as a thought that had been lingering in her mind came back into focus, ‘does… does Nicole like girls?’

‘What?’ Graham almost laughed caught off guard by the question.

‘She looks at Waverly funny… like, stares at her… like Daddy used to look at Mummy…’ Lauren went on.

As he thought about it, Graham realised that there had been things to notice, he just had no idea how to approach this talk with his little sister, ‘I guess she does…’ he shrugged.

‘Is that normal?’ Lauren asked confused. ‘For girls… to like girls?’

‘I guess so, I’ve seen it on TV,’ Graham said. ‘Woah…’ As a rock fell from the bank beside them, Graham swerved dangerously around it coming very close to the edge of the road but managed to avoid disaster just in time to steer them back on track. ‘Oh man… it’s getting unsafe out here…’

Lauren looked back at where the rock had disappeared down the mountainside, ‘can we go back?’

‘No,’ Graham said firmly. ‘We have to get Grandma.’

Remembering this, Lauren sat back down and returned to her thoughts. She didn’t want to think about what was going on around them. ‘I like Waverly, so if Nicole likes Waverly… that’s okay,’ she decided. Despite the danger growing about them, Graham couldn’t help but smile at his little sister’s logic. It was so innocent and understanding, something often lost with age and time. Silently to himself, he decided that he agreed with her as they continued their treacherous journey up the volcano.

 

The doors had barely shut before Waverly pulled her truck up the road. All they saw was a heavy flow of traffic coming across them as the residents of Purgatory’s Peak fled from the town.

‘Is there any other way across that bridge?’ Waverly asked.

‘No, that’s the only way in and out of town,’ Nicole replied seeing their predicament.

Rising up in her seat, Waverly looked right ahead of, ‘okay…’ she put the truck in gear. ‘Hang onto something.’ Nicole did not like the sound of that and soon found out she was right. Once there was a gap in the traffic, Waverly drove the truck over the road and straight down the bank towards the river.

‘You’re out of your mind!’ Nicole cried bouncing around in her seat as the truck flew over rocks, logs and flattened bushes as it plummeted down. ‘Oh, you are out of your mind!’ Once they were out of the greenery being split in front of them the nose of the truck plunged deep into water. Astounded, Nicole glanced sideways as Waverly forced the truck on. ‘Are you insane?’ All around their feet, water was pouring into the truck as they floated forward.

‘It’s okay,’ Waverly assured her. ‘The engine has a snorkel.’ She pointed at the black plastic funnel sticking out of the side of the truck. It brought little comfort to Nicole as the water poured in quicker than they were moving. It was cold and very unpleasant.

‘Can we make it to the other side?’ Nicole asked the icy water taking her breath away as it rose above her ankles.

‘As long as we don’t get stuck…’ Waverly nodded gripping the wheel tightly.

Slowly but surely the truck groaned its way through the water as the wheels were just able to find some friction on the river bed below. As the water reached the middle of her shins Nicole spotted a harrowing sight on the bank to the right of them.

‘Oh my god, Waverly… those cars…’ Across the river, two cars had seen what Waverly had done and wanted to try it to avoid the bridge which was jamming up with the heavy flow of cars trying to escape.

‘They’re crazy, they’ll never make it.’

The water around them was now up to their knees and continuing to rise. Its temperature was causing Nicole to shiver. Then with a shudder the trucked ceased to move at all.

‘We’re stuck?’ Nicole asked terrified.

‘I know…’ Waverly acknowledged trying to stay calm. She shifted the truck in and out of gears, pressing to go forward and reverse but the wheels had spun a deepening hole in the sediment at the bottom of the river and were irreversibly stuck.

Looking out of the window, Nicole spotted that one of the cars was beginning to drift closer and closer to them with the driver having lost all control due to the depth of the water. ‘Waverly…’ Nicole called over gripping her seat more tightly with both hands.

‘I see it…’ desperately she continued to press down on the accelerator but they weren’t moving an inch.

‘Waverly!’ The car’s headlight was inches from the mayor’s window.

‘Okay… hold on!’ tugging Nicole over towards her, Waverly embraced the impact that was about to happen. Glass smashed and metal groaned as the car slammed into the side of the truck. It had the effect Waverly hoped it would. The collision jolted the truck out of where it had become stranded freeing the wheels to find their grip again and see them to other side of the river. Water cascaded out of the gaps around the doors and broken window as the truck heaved itself up onto dry land.

‘You okay?’ Waverly checked. All around them ash had begun to fall from the sky which was completely doused in dark black cloud. Although it was still the afternoon, it looked like night had fallen and it made the sense of foreboding even more unnerving. Nicole stared ahead watching the ash’s light texture hit the windscreen and they get easily cleared off by the truck’s wipers. It was mesmerising for a moment as she tried to collect herself as she continued to shiver from being soaked through. Nicole’s lack of reply worried the driver. ‘Nicole?’

‘How are two children going to survive this?’


	9. Chapter 9

 

Squeaking back and forth, the wipers tried to carry out their job and clear the ash from the windscreen. However, it was falling quicker than the wipers could deal with.

‘How can you see?’ Lauren asked her brother anxiously.

‘I can’t…’ he admitted his voice shaking. He was basing his driving on the flashes he was getting momentarily between wipes. ‘I can’t see a thing…’

‘What if you turn the headlights on?’ she suggested.

‘They are on,’ he told her.

‘I don’t like this Graham…’

‘We can’t turn back now alright!’ he cried.

Lauren moved forward in her chair, ‘well we must be able to do something…’

As she reached forward, Graham slapped her hand away from the buttons on the dash board, ‘don’t touch anything, you might mess something up!’

‘Like what?’

‘I don’t know… something.’ Annoyed and scared, Lauren slumped back in her seat. Graham glanced at her briefly feeling a little guilty. ‘We must be nearly there, just hang on okay.’

 

From inside the office, the team could hear the sound of the chopper’s blades fighting against the wind and ash swirling around the town. Swamped in a large rain coat, Rosita flew in from outside and ran up to Gus who was standing over Dolls studying the readings appearing on one of the computer screens.

‘The dumbass pilot is asking for 10,000 hard cash to fly out of here,’ she told her boss breathless.

Gus looked at her mortified, ‘if he gets any ash up in that engine, he’s had it.’ She dumped the chart she was holding down on the desk beside her and tore out of the office into lightning and wind outside. She had to cover her eyes to protect them from the ash and the glare of the helicopter’s lights.

‘Wait!’ she screamed throwing her arms up frantically, desperate to get his attention. But the pilot was only in one mind. He had his passengers and he had his money. Ignoring Gus, he pulled the helicopter up into the air as the lightning thrashed down around them louder and brighter as the volcanoes grip on the town grew stronger and stronger. ‘No no no… wait!’

To those within the helicopter, Gus was out of sight along with her pleas. It was evident quickly that the helicopter was struggling against the wind and the ash. It titled and jolted in the air unable to find the smooth flight track it was searching for. Inside the helicopter, the extent of their precarious position became clear as the engine light began flashing and blaring. To the pilot’s horror, he realised he was no longer in control of the helicopter as it plunged towards the ground.

‘Bring it up, bring it up!’ came the desperate cry of one of the passengers.

‘I can’t!’ the pilot screamed back.

Within seconds, the sight of a road was rapidly approaching as the helicopter lost altitude at an alarming rate. On the road, an oblivious Waverly and Nicole had begun their ascent of the mountain in pursuit of the children. Nicole saw the headlight first and then the approaching shadow in the shape of an aircraft bearing down on them.

‘What the hell?’ Nicole breathed out grabbing Waverly’s arm.

Seeing it, all Waverly could do was punch the brakes bringing her truck to an immediate stop. It was the right decision as the helicopter hit the ground in front of them then bounced over the truck narrowly missing the roof with its landing skids. Spinning in their seats, Waverly and Nicole watched as the helicopter hit the abandoned house behind them and burst into a torrent of flame and smoke which billowed into the ash filled air. Frozen in shock, the two stared at it bewildered. No one emerged out of the burning wreck.

Shaken, Waverly brought herself to turn round and pick up her radio, ‘Gus… come in… come in Gus…’ When she heard no reply she wiped the mouth piece against her sleeve then tried again. ‘Gus… come in, anyone, come in, come in?’

In the office, Gus heard Waverly’s crackling voice coming from her radio on the desk; she grabbed it instantly, ‘Waverly… Waverly are you okay?’

‘I’m fine… listen there’s a helicopter down not far up the mountain, can you send help?’

Gus sighed and shook her head, ‘I don’t think anyone will be available… damn stupid pilot fool.’ She closed her eyes for a moment then turned her attention back to Waverly. ‘Where are you?’

‘I’m with Nicole, her kids have gone up the mountain to lake, I’m going with her to get them then come back down and help you guys pack out of there okay,’ Waverly said into the radio as Nicole continued to stare at the flames coming from the twisted wreck of the helicopter.

Horrified at what they had heard, Gus looked at her team as they tried to take in what Waverly had just said, ‘Waverly, you don’t have enough time,’ Doc called from his seat. ‘Do you hear me? We don’t think you have enough time!’

At her end, Waverly could only just hear them as the line began to die, ‘Gus?’ she pressed the button and waited. ‘Listen, do not wait for me, do you understand? Do not wait for me if it gets bad or if this show arrives. Get out of there okay?’ Again she waited, but all she heard was static. She stared at the radio yearning to hear the voices of her colleagues but it was quickly obvious that she was now on her own.

Back at the office, Gus was doing exactly the same thing. The last thing they had heard was Waverly asking them not to wait, but then nothing more. Slowly, Gus placed the radio down on the table and looked at her team in the darkened room.

‘Listen, I’m going to stay here as long as I can, but I want you guys to get out… right now.’

A wry smile appeared on Dolls’ face, ‘and miss the big show?’ He looked at the others and saw they were in total agreement. ‘Not a chance.’

In the truck, Waverly took a moment to catch her breath. Nicole had now turned from the burning wreckage behind them and was watching the volcanologist carefully. ‘You don’t have to do this, you can go back.’

With the same wry smile as Dolls had worn, Waverly gazed at the mayor, ‘not a chance…’ she squeezed Nicole’s hand before returning it to the wheel. ‘We have to get those kids of yours.’

 

‘Grandma, Grandma!’ Lauren screamed as she jumped from Nicole’s truck.

Holding a torch which was barely visible through the falling ash, Rush ran from her wooden house at the cries, ‘what the hell are you two doing here?’

‘We had to come and get you,’ Graham said smashing into her body to give her tight embrace.

‘The mountain is blowing up Grandma,’ Lauren added.

Ruth wanted to reply but her dog Ruffy had emerged wanting to know the reason for all the commotion. Then as a lightning strike lit up the sky with horrendous force, the startled dog changed direction and bolted away into the ash and out of sight.

‘Ruffy!’ Lauren cried watching the dog disappear.

‘Ruffy!’ Graham joined in.

Before Ruth could stop them the two children ran after the dog. ‘Kids, come back here!’ she cried after them. Her torch was useless in the blizzard of ash as the children vanished along with the dog.

 

Struggling against the worsening conditions, Waverly drove the truck up the mountain along the same road as Lauren and Graham had just passed. This time more rocks and branches fell from the trees and bank. Skilfully, Waverly weaved the truck around them as they narrowly missed her and Nicole. Her heart pounded in her chest knowing that with one direct hit, she and Nicole would be lost in the truck down the mountain.

‘Please tell me you have survived worse than this…’ Nicole breathed out watching the carnage unfold around her.

Waverly was instantly taken back to Colombia, ‘just once…’

Seeing Waverly’s face fall, Nicole realised what she had said, ‘shit, I’m so sorry…’

‘It’s okay,’ Waverly assured her.

‘But we’ll survive this right?’

They both held their breath as Waverly stopped the truck to allow another torrent of rocks flow in front of them. ‘We have time,’ Waverly nodded. ‘This is only noise; she hasn’t started to sing yet.’

Nicole’s eyes widened in disbelief, ‘she hasn’t started to sing yet?’

‘Oh no, it’s going to get worse… a lot worse.’

Breathing deeply, Nicole stared at Waverly, ‘but you know what to do?’

‘Mostly,’ Waverly replied. ‘Every eruption is different.’ As she glanced at Nicole she realised what the mayor so desperately needed. ‘But I’ll get us out… I will get us out.’

As Nicole turned back to look ahead, a deafening crack and rumble caused her to turn round and look back. To her horror, a number of trees had fallen into the road along with a pile of rocks as the land slid away from the place where it should be. Nicole could nothing of the road beyond where the debris of the slide now lay.

‘Oh god… the road is gone… Waverly it’s gone!’

Now Waverly was silent as she looked at the devastation in the mirror. That was the only way back down the mountain.

 

Relieved to see her truck parked near the house, Nicole found herself breathing a little more easily. Waverly drew her truck up beside Nicole’s and saw the faint line of a torch light appear through the ash.

‘There!’ she pointed for Nicole.

‘Oh my god,’ Nicole gasped as she threw herself out of the truck. So frantic to reach them, she stumbled but caught her feet quickly. ‘Lauren! Graham!’ At her voice, the children found their way into her arms. Despite the disarray around them, as she approached, Waverly couldn’t help but smile at the sight. ‘You have no idea how angry I am with you!’ Nicole said through gritted teeth as she kissed them on their heads numerous times.

‘We’re so sorry,’ Lauren wailed into Nicole’s stomach.

‘It’s okay baby, it’s okay,’ Nicole whispered squeezing her.

‘Come on… we should get inside out of the ash,’ Waverly said gently ushering the group inside.

As soon as they were in the living room, Ruth turned to her daughter, ‘you shouldn’t have come here…’

‘Now you listen here you stupid self-centred woman!’ Nicole raged. ‘Your selfishness has put not only me and Waverly in danger but worst of all two innocent children! They are eight and twelve and they felt compelled to come up here and rescue you because you cannot put anyone above yourself! For once, just once, when we most need it, can you think of the fact that you and those beautiful children are all I have? And now I am in danger of losing all of you. I may not be my sister, who I know you wish was here instead of me, but I care about those children like they’re my own and I will go against anyone, anyone, who puts their lives in peril. The mountain is blowing up mother and there is nothing we can do about it and God help me if you want to stay here, so be it… I will leave you behind.’

Ruth’s lip quivered stuck hard by her daughter’s words, ‘well do it then… go back the way you came from…’

‘We can’t you bitch because a landslide has just wiped out the entire road behind us…’ she grabbed Ruth by the collar. ‘You might just have killed us all.’

The horror of what she had done began to dawn on Ruth as she stared horrified into Nicole’s eyes filled with fury, ‘what?’

On the other side of the room where Waverly, Lauren and Graham stood, Waverly ushered the children away from the fight, ‘you okay you two?’

‘Why did Nicole call Grandma a bitch?’ Lauren asked sadly.

‘Oh honey,’ Waverly said stroking her cheek. ‘Nicole just loves you so much, she’s been so worried. She would be very sad if anything happened to you or your brother.’ She looked at Graham who was nodding showing he understood. ‘She’s just mad because your Grandma wouldn’t come down from the mountain, but she loves your Grandma really. And I’m here now and I’m going to help get you both out of here.’ Taking Waverly completely by surprise, Lauren moved forward and embraced Waverly, wrapping her arms tightly around the volcanologist’s waist.

‘I’m glad you’re here Waverly,’ she said burying her head into Waverly’s stomach.

As the quarrel with her mother ended, Nicole moved towards the children and was taken by the sight of Lauren and Waverly embracing. After her chest tightening during shouting at Ruth, she felt it relax as she enjoyed what she was seeing. Graham was rubbing Lauren’s back as Waverly comforted the scared little girl. Looking up, Waverly met her eyes and Nicole could see that the acceptance was touching the volcanologist in a way that was taking her completely by surprise.

‘Come on… we need to pack.’

 

As Lauren and Graham packed in the next room with Ruth, Nicole stood motionless in the room in which she grew up. It was small and cluttered with the things that Ruth had filled it with over the years but it was still recognisable as the one she enjoyed as a child. Covering her face with her hands, she played what she had said to her mother over and over again along with all the arguments they had had since the death of her sister.

Appearing in the doorway with her hands in her pockets, Waverly observed Nicole’s despondent posture and could hear that she was crying, ‘hey…’ she moved towards her and taking Nicole’s arms gently in her hands she pulled them down so the mayor’s hands came away from her face.

‘How could I say those things to my mum in front of my children?’ Nicole said.

Waverly reached up and wiped the tears off Nicole’s cheeks, ‘because you love those children,’ she replied as lightning continued to crash around them and light up the room. ‘You are their mother now and in my opinion, no one could be looking after them better.’

Nicole nodded wanting to believe it, ‘have you ever wanted children?’

Waverly couldn’t help but laugh lightly at the question, ‘we’re going to do this here are we?’

‘Yeah, I guess it’s not the best time,’ Nicole agreed seeing why Waverly was amused. ‘And we’ve known each other all of a few days…’

Despite this, Waverly stepped in closer. She placed her hands on Nicole’s shoulders and stroked them up to her neck, ‘I’ve never thought about it… but I can see why you love those two so much.’ Her fingers made their way to Nicole’s face. ‘And it’s why I’m going to get you and them out of here…no matter what it takes.’

Breath taken, Nicole brought her hands to Waverly’s face tracing her thumb lightly across Waverly’s lips, ‘where have you been?’ she let out a long breath as she spoke.

‘Chasing volcanoes,’ Waverly replied with a light chuckle. ‘Luckily, one of them was yours.’

Nicole didn’t want them to talk anymore. Pulling Waverly in she pressed their lips together. It was a soft kiss but one filled with gentle desperation. As the lightning crashed around the fragile structure of the wooden house, they were desperate to enjoy just a little moment of happiness. Heatedly, they exchanged breath as Nicole gripped Waverly’s face and the Waverly pressed her body up into Nicole. Nicole’s breath chastened at the feel of Waverly’s chest pressing into her own as their tongues met ardently.

Reluctantly, Waverly pulled away but kept their foreheads together, ‘we have to go.’

‘I know,’ Nicole agreed. But she had to taste Waverly one more time. Slowly, to savour the touch, she caressed Waverly’s lips with hers then moved past her to find her children. Waverly didn’t turn to watch her go; instead she took her eyes out of the window to where all seemed to be calming as the ash had stopped falling. She knew better however, she knew that this was just the calm before the real storm.


	10. Chapter 10

 

Walking into the bedroom, Nicole was not impressed with what she saw. Instead of Ruth helping the children to pack she was sharing photos with them that she had found in a draw.

‘This was taken when this place was built by your great grandfather, I was only six years old,’ she said shining a torch on it so they could see.

‘Now is not the time for reminiscing mother,’ Nicole groaned stuffing clothes into the plastic bags they had gathered.

Ruth glared at her daughter, ‘look if I’m going to leave this place, then I want something to hold onto…’

‘Once again, putting yourself before the children and others,’ Nicole snapped exasperated. She threw the bags she was holding onto the floor. ‘I’m done… I’m so done.’ She put her hand out to Lauren. ‘Come on baby…’ Lauren left the bed and her Grandma’s side to take it. ‘Come on Graham… please.’ Graham obeyed and joined Nicole and Lauren as they rushed down the stairs. ‘We are getting out of here, even if Grandma doesn’t want to.’

‘Nicole!’ Ruth cried rising from the bed. She too rushed out of the bedroom and down the stairs to the living room below where Waverly was waiting, lighting their way with a torch. Nicole stopped at the bottom and looked back at her mother as she ran down the stairs. ‘How can you be so cruel? This house is my whole life and…’

She couldn’t finish her sentence. When she reached the bottom step, behind them the entire wooden wall suddenly began to glow a dramatic orange and within seconds had burst into flames as lava pushed through the fragile wood. All of them felt the heat immediately as it poured through.

‘We have to go!’ Waverly cried ushering them all out of the house.

What greeted them outside filled them all with terror. In front the house they stood on an island as all around them lava flowed down the mountain. The trucks were being rapidly swallowed up as they melted and disappeared into the boiling and bubbling tide.

‘What do we do Waverly?’ Lauren screamed.

Looking around, Waverly spotted Ruth’s boat down by the lake tied to a small wooden jetty, ‘there… get in the boat!’ Waverly told them. Holding their hands, Nicole dragged Lauren and Graham down to it and made sure they got in first. Ruth simply stood staring at her house distraught. ‘Come on Ruth…’ Waverly urged knowing it would kill Nicole to have to leave her behind. ‘We have to go now.’ Her tone was stern but still feeling understanding the pain Ruth must be feeling watching her whole life go up in flames. With a gentle push of the arms, Waverly managed to get Ruth to turn and make her way down into the boat. Lauren and Graham were overcome with relief as they helped their Grandma get in. Waverly got in last and got the motor of the boat working with three strong yanks of the cord. It coughed and spluttered but finally whirred into life as they group began to make their way across the lake. Nicole held her children close whilst Ruth buried her head into her arms unable to look at the destruction of her house anymore.

Turning in Nicole’s arm, Graham looked over the side of the boat and frowned, ‘Nicole… look,’ he pointed at the water. ‘All the fish are dead.’ Nicole looked and saw that the murky lake was littered with dead fish all floating on the surface. ‘Waverly?’

Waverly heard her name but her attention was drawn to the bottom of the boat where steam appeared to be coming through the metal. Keeping one hand on the engine, she bent forward and tapped the boat. When she straightened, she saw that her fingers were covered with a little of the metal and felt hot. ‘Oh crap,’ she said under her breath. Out of the corner of her eye Waverly saw Graham lean towards the water reaching out his hand. ‘Graham no! Don’t touch the water!’ she cried. Shocked at her shout, Graham fell back into Nicole ripping his hand away from the surface of the lake. Waverly looked to Nicole. ‘The volcanic activity has turned the lake water to acid…’

Nicole simply stared at her for moment, ‘acid eats metal,’ she said.

‘The lake is going to eat the boat?’ Lauren asked horrified.

‘Oh god,’ Nicole gasped looking around them. They were in the middle of the lake and with the darkened skies; they couldn’t even see the shores.

‘No honey,’ Waverly said to Lauren. ‘It’s going to be okay, come on here… we have to balance the boat.’ Carefully, Lauren made her way to Waverly, where the volcanologist held her tightly. ‘Now put your feet up, that’s it. Graham put your feet up. Ruth… please.’ They all did as they were told.

‘Nicole… we’re sinking,’ Graham said. ‘Are we sinking?’

‘Just hold onto me,’ Nicole told him. As she wrapped her arms around him as she looked to Waverly once again. For the first time, Nicole could tell that the volcanologist was really afraid.

However, both adults knew they couldn’t let the children see it. As she gripped the engine’s rudder and stared into the distance, desperate to see the shore come into view, Waverly found herself starting to sing, ‘row row row your boat, gently down the stream… merrily merrily merrily, life is but a dream… row row row your boat, gently down the stream… merrily merrily merrily, life is but a dream…’ Lauren looked up at her and joined in. A soft smile crept on Nicole’s face as she too began to sing. All together with Ruth slowly coming round to be part of the group, they all held on as they repeated the song over and over as the boat continued across the treacherous lake; all the time sinking further and further town millimetre by millimetre.

Suddenly their song was interrupted with a horrible stuttering behind Waverly. Taking her arms away from Lauren, Waverly turned on her knees and pulled the engine out of the water. To her dismay there was nothing left of the propeller, it had been completely eaten by the acid in the water.

‘Oh shit.’

‘What is it?’ Nicole asked unable to see past Waverly’s body.

Waverly turned to Nicole, ‘we’ve lost the prop,’ she said. Then looking over her shoulder she saw what she had been searching for. Through the mist on the lake, a wooden jetty jutted out into the water on the other side of the lake. ‘And there it is…’ They were so close.

‘We have no engine?’ Graham asked beginning to panic. The bottom of the boat was now completely filled with the deadly water and the group were only just balancing on the rim.

‘Lauren, sweetie, go to Nicole…’ Waverly told her helping her across. Quickly, Waverly shrugged off her jacket and wrapped it around her hand.

‘We’re sinking!’ Graham screamed.

‘No… no we’re not…’ Nicole told him. She watched as Waverly placed her jacket covered hand into the water and tried to use it as a paddle to push the boat the last few meters to the other side. ‘Just sit with your sister, please… I need you to sit there and not move.’ As Graham took Lauren into his arms, Nicole copied Waverly. She took off her own jacket and wrapped it around her hand. On each side, both women gripped the boat as they risked their hands to use them as paddles in the water to try and get the boat to safety.

‘Come on Nicole!’ Graham cried as the boat continued to be eaten by the lake. Yet, little by little, Waverly and Nicole had got the boat moving and it was now making good progress towards the wooden jetty which loomed in front of them.

As the water ate through the material, Waverly and Nicole could feel the acid against their skin. It wasn’t burning yet, but they knew it was only a matter of time. Their strokes became quicker and more frantic as barely any of the boat was above the surface making it harder for them to push it on.

‘We’re so close!’ Waverly called to Nicole. ‘Keep going!’

‘We’re sinking Mummy!’ Lauren cried out.

Graham looked at his sister, ‘she’s not our mum Lauren,’ he said carefully.

Lauren just stared at Nicole working hard, ‘she is now,’ she replied back. Graham looked at Nicole and could see what Lauren meant.

Then without warning, Waverly, Nicole, Lauren and Graham heard a splash. Ruth had jumped out of the boat. Having thought about Nicole’s words back at the house, as she watched Nicole put her life in danger for the children, Ruth had realised that she had to do something. The boat was simply too heavy for all of them.

‘Ruth!’ Waverly screamed. ‘Get back in the boat!’

‘Grandma! What are you doing?’ came the cries of the children.

It wasn’t long before Ruth started screaming due to the pain as the acid ate at her legs.

With one last push, Waverly and Nicole got the boat to the jetty. Using all their strength they pushed the children up onto it first before Waverly helped Nicole up onto it before her.

‘Ruth, get to shore!’ Waverly shouted at the woman screaming in agony as she waded slowly towards the edge.

On the wooden jetty, Nicole pulled Waverly out of the boat which disappeared into the water just as Waverly’s feet left it. Without hesitation, the two sprinted along the wood until they reached the shore. Nicole went immediately to her mother as she collapsed.

‘Graham honey,’ Nicole said emotionally falling to her knees under her mother’s weight. ‘Take your sister away please.’ Graham hesitated wanting to stay with his grandma, ‘Graham, I need you to do this for me,’ Nicole stressed her voice shaking. Graham did as he was told, leading his sister away from the sight covering her eyes with his arms in an embrace. ‘Is it bad?’ Nicole asked Waverly as her mother whimpered in her arms. She couldn’t see the damage properly as she clung onto her mother’s head and shoulders.

Examining the elderly woman’s legs, Waverly’s eyes fell on horrendous burns where the acid had eaten through Ruth’s jeans and layers of skin. Waverly didn’t want to say it; she knew the look on her face told Nicole what she needed to hear.

‘You stupid fool mum,’ Nicole wept as she held her mother tightly kissing her forehead. ‘You stupid fool.’

‘I… wanted… you and the children… to be okay,’ Ruth breathed out needing to gasp between words. ‘I wanted… to put… you first.’ Nicole couldn’t say anymore. Her face creased up in anguish as she kissed her mother’s forehead again and gripped onto her even more tightly.

The sight caused tears to build in Waverly’s eyes. She looked at the children who were clinging onto each other terrified and then at the events unfolding around them, the lava flow, the darkened skies now covering the night and at the mountain just waiting to unleash its final act. She had promised Nicole and the children that she would get them out safely, but for the first time, she was really beginning to panic.

‘Oh god… oh dear god,’ she muttered to herself as she stared at the volcano still spewing thick dark grey clouds into the sky.

 

Using Graham’s jacket, Nicole had hidden the extent of Ruth’s injuries from the children as they knelt down by her side. Having moved a little distance from them, Waverly was desperately trying her radio which she had kept stuffed into her pocket.

‘Gus? Come in… come in…’ she rubbed it against her sleeve, shook it and tried again. ‘Gus, please… anyone… come in, come in…’ She tried different frequencies hoping that anyone would hear but the signal had been wiped out by the commotion from the volcano. ‘Come in… anyone…’

‘Anything?’ Nicole asked joining her.

Waverly turned to face her, ‘no, the signal is dead.’

‘So, what do we do?’ Nicole asked.

Inside, Waverly was filled with fear, this was worse than anything she had ever had to face, but she was not going to show Nicole, ‘we need find a way to get down the mountain.’ She looked over at where Lauren and Graham knelt by Ruth’s side trying to comfort her. ‘Do you think she can walk?’

Nicole glanced over her shoulder. Her mother’s eyes were closed but she was holding tightly onto Lauren’s hand, ‘she’s made of tough stuff that woman, she can probably try.’

‘And you?’ Waverly asked gazing up at Nicole. ‘You okay?’

It was evident from the shake of Nicole’s lips she wasn’t, ‘she jumped out because of what I said.’ Her voice cracked with emotion. ‘Why did I say those things? They were horrible.’

Waverly took her hand, ‘you cannot blame yourself. You didn’t tell her to jump out of the boat.’

‘But I told her she was selfish…’ Nicole argued.

‘Many things are said in the heat of moment, you cannot predict how they’re going to be taken.’ She stroked Nicole’s arm in an effort to reassure her. ‘You know you would never have said those things if you knew she was going to do what she did.’

Nicole gazed at Waverly in admiration and had to catch her breath for a moment, ‘how do you always know what to say to make me feel better?’

‘I don’t know,’ Waverly admitted. ‘Somehow I just know what to say around you.’

‘And I like what you say,’ Nicole pulled her in so they could embrace tightly. Burying her head into Nicole’s neck, Waverly used the feeling of comfort and solace to sort out her thoughts and think of how she was going to get Nicole, the children and Ruth out of this mess.

 

Unknown to them, Ruth and the children were watching their intimate embrace.

‘Your mum told me Waverly wasn’t her girlfriend,’ Ruth breathed out still flinching in pain.

‘She isn’t… I mean, Waverly only arrived in town a few days ago,’ Graham replied.

‘But we think Nicole likes her,’ Lauren told her Grandma. ‘Because Graham told me girls can like girls. Though I don’t really understand it.’

Ruth kept her head turned so she could watch Waverly console her daughter, ‘I’ve never really understood it either sweetheart,’ Ruth said squeezing her granddaughter’s hand. ‘But she seems happy with Waverly.’

‘Waverly can do magic,’ Lauren grinned.

‘Oh she can?’ Ruth managed to chuckle looking back at her grandchildren.

‘Yeah and she’s really funny,’ Graham added.

Ruth gazed at them with a pained smile, ‘you know that I love you all don’t you? And all I want is for Nicole to be happy.’

‘Yes Grandma we know,’ Lauren nodded.

‘Waverly will get us down from here,’ Graham went on. ‘She knows so much stuff and she will make sure we get you to a hospital.’

Awkwardly, Ruth reached over and took Graham’s hand so she was holding onto both of them, ‘I’m so proud of you two, after everything that has happened… you’re both still so wonderful and so strong.’

‘Because we had you and Nicole Grandma,’ Lauren said. ‘And now we have Waverly too.’

Unable to speak anymore due to the pain, Ruth nodded and squeezed their hands again. She knew the truth; she knew that it was not looking good for her. The burns covered simply too much of her body. Rotating her head on the log underneath her head she looked back at where Nicole still clung onto Waverly. She was loathed to leave her family, but if she was going to, it brought comfort to know that Nicole now had someone else who clearly cared about them all. Someone who could love her daughter as much as she did.

 


	11. Chapter 11

 

As soon as the jeeps came to a halt, Wynonna stepped forward to receive the soldiers that jumped out of them. Morning had now broken over Purgatory’s Peak revealing the true extent of the devastation. Most buildings lay in ruin or covered in meters of ash. The town was barely recognisable from the beautiful place that had greeted Waverly upon her arrival.

‘We have to sweep the town, from top to bottom,’ Wynonna told the soldiers. ‘We have to get everybody out now, this thing’s going to blow!’

At her command, the soldiers dispersed to find anyone left behind in the town that was still alive. Anyone who could be rescued and moved had to be, the peak was just waiting for its moment.

 

High up the mountain, the group trudged through the ash and trees. Lauren and Graham led the way as Nicole and Waverly struggled to keep Ruth going. Her arms draped around their shoulders they tried to take as much of her weight as possible. However, with each step Ruth weakened between them.

‘Stop… please stop…’ Ruth pleaded. Her legs wounded legs buckled and she collapsed into Waverly’s arms. Waverly fell to the floor but cushioned Ruth’s fall cradling the stricken woman in her lap. ‘I can’t go on… I just can’t.’

‘No Mum… please…’ Nicole begged leaning over her mother. Beside her, Lauren and Graham fell to their knees around their grandmother.

‘It’s okay,’ Ruth managed to smile. ‘It’s going to be okay…’ she reached up and stroked Nicole’s cheek. ‘At least I get to stay on my mountain.’

Nicole shook her head unable to believe what was happening, ‘you can’t leave us…’

‘Here Grandma… you can have my crystal,’ Lauren offered taking it out of her pocket. ‘It’s lucky, it means you’ll be okay.’

Instead of taking the crystal, Ruth took Lauren’s hand and pressed the little girl’s fingers gently around the stone so she was holding it tightly, ‘oh sweet pie, that’s so nice… but you hold onto it okay. I think you need it more than me.’

‘I’m so sorry mum,’ Nicole went on beginning to cry. ‘I shouldn’t have said all those things…’

‘It’s okay darling,’ Ruth assured her holding her hand. ‘You were right, I have been selfish. I’ve been too focused on what I’ve lost instead of realising what I still have.’ She gazed at Nicole and at the two children. ‘You have no idea how proud you make me… with everything you do. I love you all so much…’

‘Then stay Grandma,’ Graham pleaded tears flowing down his cheeks. Beside him, Lauren was confused by all the emotion. ‘Stay with us. Just a little further.’

‘I don’t think I can…’ Ruth told him her voice becoming weaker. ‘But you have Nicole… and she is going to take such good care of you.’

Tears were now streaming down Nicole’s cheeks, ‘I love you mum…’ she wept holding her mother’s face tightly desperate for her not to go. Overcome she brought her face down to rest on her mother’s chest. As she did so, she felt it rise and fall slowly its pace dropping with every breath until it did not rise and fall any more. Nicole almost stopped breathing as she willed it to move again. However, there was nothing. In shock, she lifted her head to look at her mother’s face. The eyes were closed and she was still and peaceful. ‘Mum?’ She began to shake her. ‘Mum!?’ Gripping Ruth’s arms, Nicole yearned for her to wake up, but there was nothing.

Gently, Waverly leaned forward and gripped Nicole’s arm to stop her, ‘Nicole…’ she whispered shedding her own tears for Nicole’s pain. ‘She’s gone…’

‘She’s gone?’ Lauren asked bewildered at this. ‘Where did she go?’

At the little girl’s confusion, Nicole’s face creased up in pain unable to deal with her own grief and what she knew the children must be feeling. She did know however, that all the comfort she needed was in their arms. She turned to face them and powerless to speak she beckoned them in with both hands and the three collapsed into a tight embrace.

‘She’s gone to heaven baby,’ Nicole whispered as she buried her face into children.

Over Nicole’s shoulder, Lauren watched as Waverly gently laid Ruth’s head on the ground and slid her legs out from underneath her grandma’s lifeless body. It was only when Ruth still didn’t move that Lauren truly realised what Nicole meant. Not wanting to see anymore, she closed her eyes and buried them in Nicole’s shoulder.

Slowly, Waverly made her way over and knelt down beside Nicole. She placed her hand on the back of Nicole’s neck and squeeze it before kissing the devastated woman on the cheek, ‘I am so sorry,’ she whispered. Closing her eyes, Nicole let her head drop so that it rested against Waverly’s whilst keeping hold of the children. ‘We have to keep going.’

‘We have to leave Grandma?’ Lauren asked confused.

Trying to find any strength she had left, Nicole wiped the tears from her cheeks, ‘Grandma isn’t here anymore sweetheart… her body is, but her spirit is in heaven now. She’s safe… now Waverly and I are going to make damn well sure that you and your brother are.’ She got to her feet pulling the children up with her. She looked to Waverly her eyes red and grief stricken then gathered herself and found the last bit of strength she had. ‘Lead the way.’

With a nod, Waverly took Lauren’s hand whilst Nicole wrapped her arm around Graham’s shoulders as they continued their journey down the mountain. As the trees became denser around them, Nicole looked back at her mother’s body one more time before it disappeared from sight.

 

‘Come on, we have to go!’ Rosita shouted back into the office.

‘Coming… coming!’ Jeremy answered running out breathless carrying precious equipment in his hands. Waiting outside for them were two jeeps and Gus’ truck. As quickly as they could, the team were loading the jeeps and truck with all the stuff they could manage.

‘The town is cleared, you guys have to go now,’ Wynonna demanded urging them on. ‘The bridge is going to go soon!’

Yet, Jeremy returned into the building to continue fetching equipment, ‘Jeremy… Jesus man!’ Dolls cried from one of the jeeps. He already had his seat and he was ready to go.

‘Last thing, I’m done,’ Jeremy threw the last case into the jeep and hopped in.

‘Do you want to kill us all?’ Rosita snapped at him from the back of the jeep.

‘If we don’t get this stuff, the top dogs at United States Geological Survey will have us instead,’ Jeremy protested as he slammed the door. ‘No good us surviving this then getting our legs chopped from under us when we get back.’

‘He makes a good point,’ Doc said leaning in. Beside him Dolls and Rosita rolled their eyes, they knew it too. ‘Our lives meaning nothing against that damn equipment.’

As the jeep began to roll away, Jeremy was hit with sudden panic, ‘where’s Gus?’ he asked the driver.

‘She’s fine, she’s in her truck with Wynonna leading the way,’ the solider replied.

In her truck, Gus took a moment to pick up her radio, ‘Waverly… Waverly?’ she sighed when there was no reply. ‘Look, I don’t know if you can hear me, but we got everybody out, the town is evacuated.’ She looked up at the volcano which had fallen eerily silent. ‘Please, if you can hear me, the bridge is about to go...’ She felt emotion building inside her chest. ‘You are one of the best and most infuriating people I have ever worked with. I admire you immensely. Please, get out of there if you can…’ She paused as she realised she might never see Waverly again. ‘Be seeing you kid, take care… take great care.’ Unable to take anymore, and at Wynonna’s impatient gestures, Gus threw the radio to one side and pulled the truck away from the motel and out of the ghostly town now lying abandoned, hidden underneath the layer of ash encasing it.

 

Step by step the group made it down the mountain. As the little girl had grown tired, Waverly carried Lauren on her back whilst Graham held onto Nicole. With the layer of ash covering the ground, each step was treacherous with them unable to see what lay beneath. Many times one of them had slipped but luckily but caught by another or found their footing themselves. Clinging onto Waverly with her hands on Waverly’s shoulders, Lauren still wept from having to leave Ruth behind.

‘You alright back there?’ Waverly asked panting a little.

Lauren sniffed, ‘yes… where are we going?’

Waverly wondered the same question, then through the trees a house emerged with a truck parked outside, ‘there sweetie, we’re going there.’ Seeing the truck filled Waverly with a little hope. She quickened her step cautiously so that she drew up alongside Nicole. ‘See it?’

Nicole raised her head and saw what Waverly had spotted, ‘oh my god…’

‘Lauren darling,’ Waverly called back. ‘Think you can walk?’

‘Umm hmm,’ Lauren nodded into Waverly’s shoulder.

‘Good girl,’ Waverly said as she put Lauren down carefully making sure Lauren was secure on her feet before she let go.

As the group approached they saw there was a metal wire fence in the way, however due to the tremors some of the fastenings had been shaken loose from the metal poll. Ensuring that she did not wrap her hands around any sharp ends, Waverly pulled the fence apart so that Nicole and the children could pass through. Then Nicole took over to allow Waverly to follow.

‘You guys get in,’ Waverly instructed them as she moved around to the driver’s side. She was relieved to find it unlocked but then found there was something missing within. ‘Damn it… there’s no keys.’

‘Can you hot wire it?’ Nicole asked as she made sure the children were secure in the back as she jumped into the passenger seat.

Waverly cast Nicole an amused look, ‘what idea do you have about us volcanologists?’

‘Well can you?’ Nicole asked again with a hint of flirtation.

‘Actually I can,’ she chuckled pulling the panel out from under the wheel. The wires fell down into view. ‘Here we go.’ She located the wires she needed and pulled them out of their holding. She struck them together briefly first to calm the sparks then as the engine choked into life she twist them together to keep the engine going.

‘Looks like my idea was right,’ Nicole quipped weakly. Waverly smiled at her, glad that Nicole was able to find something to joke about. It was clear there was still a great deal of pain in her eyes as they were still red from crying, but there was no time for grieving, they had to focus on surviving their perilous position. It appeared that humour was what was going to help Nicole to do that.

Waverly slammed her door shut. She took a moment to put a hand on Nicole’s arm. Nicole appreciated it and placed her own hand over it. ‘Okay, here we go,’ Waverly said. ‘You kids alright?’ They were cuddled together in the back, Lauren leaning on Graham. Lauren was still crying shown by a single tear rolling down her cheek before she wiped it away. ‘I’m going to get you out of here, just hang on okay.’ She placed the truck in reverse and began to tear the truck down the mountain. She had no idea where the roads were due to the ash, but as long as the ground looked flat, Waverly was going to use it.

 

Further up the mountain water gushed in a tremendous torrent towards the dam and with the sheer weight of the river and the debris it was carrying, it was only a matter of time before it would give way. It was just as the team had left the town that brick by brick the dam crumbled and collapsed allowing the cascading water to pour freely in a frighteningly fast flow down towards the bridge. It rose the level of the river so that when the team reached the bridge in the two jeeps and Gus’ truck, accompanied by Wynonna in her police vehicle it was beginning to splash across the bridge’s surface.

‘Oh my god,’ Rosita gasped. ‘Are we going to be able to go across that?’

‘It’s the only way out,’ Doc stated blankly staring ahead. He was terrified.

‘Hang on!’ the soldier called back as he pressed on the accelerator and moved the jeep onto the bridge. Wynonna’s car in front, the water from the continuously rising river was now splashing against the windows of all the vehicles making its way across. The team could hear the groaning and creaking of the bridge as it desperately held on to the banks of the river to which it was fastened.

‘Oh Jesus,’ Dolls gasped clinging onto his seat. They were now in the middle of the bridge. They couldn’t help but turn and look at the water flowing towards them, filled with branches, fences and parts of the houses that it had already swallowed up. Dolls gulped and looked back in front to see Wynonna’s patrol car make it safely to the other side. A few seconds later, though they seemed like hours, their jeep made it, followed by the second. Once they were on the other side, the bridge polls snapped like twigs and the bridge began to get sucked away by the current. All occupants jumped out of the vehicles and onto the bank to see to their horror that Gus’ truck was still on the bridge.

Desperately, Gus revved her engine to try and move her truck forward as she was so close to the other side, but the wheels merely spun and smoked in the mud that caked the bridge.

‘Get out!’ Rosita screamed. ‘Gus… get out!’

Due to the force being pressed on the bridge, with no holding on either side of the bank, it began to rise up on one side. As the bridge titled, Gus’ truck slid and hit the railings on the lower side. She tumbled in the truck and out of sight from her team.

‘Oh god… Oh no…’ Doc exhaled covering his mouth.

In the windscreen, Gus reappeared with a bleeding head and managed to reach her truck door and open it. Scrambling for something to hold onto, she threw herself out of the truck and onto the bridge which was now nearly at the point of being tipped vertical.

‘Come on Gus… jump!’ Rosita screamed again. She moved to go forward, but Dolls wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back. ‘Gus! Jump!’

As the bridge was pushed further and further away from the bank, the outcome now only seemed inevitable. Gus knew this as she pulled herself up on the opposite railings to her truck. Clinging on, she looked out at her team and was able to give them one last smile. The bridge was then tipped beyond the point of return and Gus was horrifically thrown from the bridge and into the water. The team heard her scream before she was gone, swept away along with her truck by the powerful torrent.

For a moment, the team just stood and stared before Wynonna joined them, ‘I’m so sorry guys… but we have to go…’ Without a word and a few nods, Dolls, Jeremy and Doc began to make their way back to the waiting jeeps but Rosita could not bring herself to move. She simply stood and stared at where Gus had been swept away.

‘Come on…’ Jeremy said gently giving her arm a tug. ‘We have to go… come on.’ Dolls arrived to help. With a stunned shake of the head, Rosita allowed herself to walk backwards to the jeeps and be helped into one of them. In silence, the group continued their journey away from the mountain to a safe distance to be able to watch the show that just waiting to get started.

 


	12. Chapter 12

 

‘Are you alright?’ Waverly asked as she kept the truck speeding down the mountain.

Nicole had been silent since they had set off, ‘I… I just can’t believe she’s gone.’ She wiped the fresh tears from her eyes and gazed at Waverly who glanced between Nicole and the landscape in front of them. Nicole reached across and placed a hand on Waverly’s arm, ‘I’m so glad you’re here.’

A small smile appeared on Waverly’s face, ‘in the nicest way… I wish I wasn’t… I mean, I wish we weren’t’ she looked back in front of her then briefly back at Nicole. ‘There are so many other places I’d rather be with you.’

Nicole nodded understanding, ‘yeah, I can think of a few…’ She looked around at the desolate land rolling away around them. Trees drooped due to the weight on the ash on their branches and the cloud covered sky along with the grey on the ground gave everything a shroud of despondency.

Keeping one hand on the wheel, Waverly moved the other to take Nicole’s, ‘if… no, when, I get us out of here, we’re going to see them… I’m going to show you,’ she knew it was probably too early for such a proclamation but this wasn’t any ordinary situation. After watching Ruth slip away, Waverly was filled with the sense that she had to speak her mind, before it might be too late.

Nicole went to reply, but something in the distance caught her attention, ‘Waverly!’

At Nicole’s cry, Waverly stamped on the breaks as she saw what Nicole saw, ‘oh shit.’ Right in front of them, lying right across their path as it crawled down the mountain was a cooling lava flow. Although it was black and appeared still, flames still rose from parts of its surface due to its immense heat.

‘What’s wrong?’ Graham asked sitting forward. As soon as he saw it his eyes widened, ‘woah.’

‘Can we drive across that?’ Nicole asked holding her breath.

Waverly stared at it filled with trepidation, ‘I don’t know…’ she admitted. Despite this, she still put the truck into reverse. They had to try. She gave Nicole a worried look; it told the mayor everything she needed to know.

‘Kids, put your seatbelts on… now,’ Nicole demanded. She reached for her own and strapped herself in. ‘Graham, help your sister please.’ Graham did as he was told then held Lauren’s hand tightly seeing the fear in her eyes.

‘Nicole…’ Lauren started her voice quivering.

‘It’ll be okay baby…’ Nicole said to her. Then more quietly to herself, ‘it’ll be okay…’

‘Hold on,’ Waverly told Nicole once she felt she had reversed far enough. She put the truck in first gear and with a sharp intake of breath she surged the truck forward and they raced towards the lava. The volcanologist could hardly believe what she was doing, but she had no choice. ‘Kids… hold on!’ Everyone grabbed hold of their seats as the front tyres plunged into the lava.

At first it seemed like the truck would simply skim across the top where the cooling lava had formed a skin. It bucked and jolted as it made its way across, Waverly endeavouring to keep the speed up. But as the lava became deeper the skin was thinner and the tyres began to sink further into the boiling liquid rock. Soon, flames shot up all around the truck as the heat caught hold of the rubber on the tyres and then to Waverly’s dismay, one of the wheels became stuck.

‘Waverly?’ Nicole asked her heart beat rising in fear.

‘I know,’ Waverly said focused on trying all the gears she could. She pushed it into first and tried to move forward but nothing. She tried reverse, but still nothing. The truck moved a few inches then slid back into the crater it was creating with the desperate spinning of the tyres.

‘Nicole we’re on fire!’ Lauren screamed as flames rose all around them.

Seeing the flicker of the orange and yellow right by her window, Nicole undid her seat belt and climbed into the back with the children. She pulled them in and held them tightly aware of just how afraid they were.

‘We’re sinking into the lava!’ Graham cried. ‘Come on Waverly, do something!’

‘More lava is coming down the mountain!’ Lauren cried.

Sure enough, a new flow was oozing down the bank towards them, burning red and deadly, ‘oh god…’ Nicole gasped. ‘Come on Waverly… get us out of this.’ If that flow cross their path, they would not be able to cross it.

Waverly continued to change gears and punch the pedals with her foot but the truck was simply too stuck. Due to the heat, the tyres had complete disintegrated beneath them. ‘Come on you stupid piece of junk!’ she screamed hitting the wheel. To her astonishment with one last hit of the accelerator the truck pulled itself out and they were moving again. ‘Yes! Yes, come on!’

‘You did it Waverly!’ Lauren cried in relief.

‘Oh my god…’ Graham shouted suddenly pointing. ‘There’s Ruffy!’ Out in front of them stranded on a rock jutting out from the lava, Ruffy was standing barking at them. ‘Nicole, you have to get her!’

Nicole looked at Waverly, ‘go… go get her!’ Waverly agreed. Turning in her seat, Nicole opened the window at the back of the truck’s cabin and began to whistle at the dog. ‘We only get one chance at this!’ There was no way Waverly was stopping the truck now as they continued to drive across the lava. Another stop could be fatal and the new flow was almost across their path.

‘Come on Ruffy,’ Nicole called. ‘Come on girl… jump!’ As the truck passed, Ruffy did exactly as instructed and leapt into the truck as it passed right into Nicole’s arms. Gratefully, with the sound of cheering behind her, Nicole swept her up and dragged her carefully into the cabin where two very happy children waited. They both fell on Ruffy holding her tightly and stroking her adoringly. Now free of the lava field and with much happier occupants, Waverly watched and laughed as she continued drive the now considerably damaged truck down the mountain towards the town.

 

Abandoned and desolate buildings on every side, Nicole looked out at the town that had only just received an award for one of the most desirable places to live in the US. It was as far as it could be from that now. The destruction was incredible as buildings lay strewn across roads, some reduced to piles of rubble. In the back of the truck, Lauren and Graham held Ruffy tightly as they looked at the town in which they had grown up it. It was barely recognisable from what they knew.

‘Six years… six years it took to get this town on its feet…’ Nicole said shaking her head in disbelief at the devastation. ‘You wouldn’t believe the struggle… now look at it.’

The truck running on its rims, it made a horrible scratching town as they made their way out of town to where they expected the bridge to be. Instead they found on a twisted tangled mess of what still clung onto the banks and beyond it, an empty space.

Dejected, Waverly sat back in her truck; ‘is that the only way out of town?’ she asked trying not to show her panic.

‘Yes,’ Nicole said barely audibly. She looked at Waverly, watching as Waverly’s chest rose and fell heavily. ‘What do we do?’

Waverly sat for a moment, searching her thoughts for an answer, some idea. Part of her simply wanted to sit there and gaze into the eyes of the woman she was falling for, hold the children tight and wait for the unescapable. However, she did not want it to be the end. She refused to accept that after meeting Nicole and knowing her for only a few days, that this was going to be it.

‘Waverly?’ Graham as his voice shaking.

Then, Waverly began to nod and her posture became more positive as she put the truck into reverse, ‘it’s okay…’ she told them spinning the truck round. ‘We’re just going to have to do this a bit differently.’

Her eyes widening Nicole realised where they were going, ‘we’re going back towards the mountain?’ she asked a little shocked.

‘Do you trust me?’ Waverly asked as she sped the truck along managing to ignore the horrible sound coming from its lack of tyres. Nicole remained silent for a moment simply overwhelmed by the situation. ‘Nicole, do you trust me?’

‘We trust you Waverly,’ Graham spoke up from the back.

‘Yeah Waverly,’ Lauren smiled despite being frightened. ‘We trust you.’

Waverly smiled at the children then looked back at Nicole. Her face at brightened slightly at the words from her children, ‘of course I trust you…’

 

The tyres screeching to a halt, Rosita and Dolls threw themselves out of the van before helping Doc out who still hobbled with his leg in plaster. He wrapped his arms around their shoulders as they turned to look at the volcano. A safe distance away they were surrounded by reporters and news readers as they spoke to their cameras about what was happening behind them. All seemed unnervingly quiet as the mountain sat just waiting to begin its final performance.

‘She’s got to go soon,’ Doc said staring at it. Although they were far away, the volcano filled the skyline and they had the perfect view for the big show. As the other jeep pulled up next to them, Jeremy jumped out and joined them. As they all stood together and waited, their thoughts drifted to who wasn’t standing there with them. They knew that Gus and Waverly would have loved to be there. This was one show that was going to hurt to watch.

 

Leaping from the truck, Waverly raced into the office. Her eyes flitting desperately over all surfaces she searched for a hint of yellow. She found it quickly, poking out from underneath some chart paper. Relieved, she rushed forward, throwing all the paper aside, and picked it up. Just as she turned to make her way out of the office again the blinking and alarm coming from one of the monitors left behind caught her attention. She stopped to stare at it. The outline of the volcano rotated on screen with arrows blinking out from it accompanied by the words, ‘eruption imminent’.

‘No…’ Waverly told it. ‘Wait!’ She tapped the screen and flew out of the office back to the truck where Nicole and the children waited. When she got in she handed Nicole the large yellow box. It was the same box that Doc had removed from Spider-Legs just a few days before.

‘What’s this?’ Nicole asked confused as she held it on her lap.

‘It just might come in handy,’ Waverly told her putting the truck in gear and heading back into town. As she went, she kept glancing at the volcano behind her hoping that it would wait for them. They needed just a little more time in order for Waverly to ensure the success of her plan.

It didn’t wait.

With ferocious force, the volcano split the sky as the crater exploded. Amongst billowing thick grey cloud, sparks of orange and red shot up towards the heavens. The sound was incredible and caused all the occupants of the truck expect Waverly to turn and peer out of the back window as the volcano showed off its power. It wasn’t long before the sky was once again filled with swirling grey smoke and cloud.

‘Woah,’ Graham breathed out.

Within seconds of the initial eruption, the smoke that soared vertically into the air was joined by cloud that tore down the mountain. Filled with debris, rock and pumice the surging torrent smashed into and destroyed everything in its path. Trees were flattened as if paper and blown away as if they weighed nothing.

‘Mum, what is that?’ Lauren asked staring at the cloud that was gaining on them fast.

‘Waverly, what is that?’ Nicole asked turning round.

Waverly had spotted it and felt sick to the stomach knowing exactly what was coming for them. She knew the truck would never outrun it if she didn’t reach the destination she was aiming for first. They would have no chance. ‘That,’ she said watching it in her windscreen mirror. ‘Is pyroclastic cloud.’

Soon, the cloud had reached the town and demolished everything in its path. As it hit buildings the windows were blown out and the building itself shred to ribbons. Nothing remained standing as the cloud raged through Purgatory’s Peak. Filled with volcanic matter and scorching gases, it began to bear down on the truck racing down one of the side streets.

‘It’s coming!’ Graham screamed.

‘Don’t look back kids… don’t look back!’ Waverly cried. Her foot was flat on the pedal, the lack of tyres causing a serious hindrance to their progress.

‘We’re going to die Mummy!’ Lauren wailed trying to move closer to Nicole.

‘No baby… it’s going to be okay…’ now even Nicole didn’t believe in her own words. ‘Waverly…?’

Ahead of them, Waverly saw exactly what she was aiming for, ‘get down kids, get down!’ Behind them, debris being thrown out by the cloud was now landing inches away from the truck. The cloud was all around them ready to pounce and take its next victim. The group inside could feel its force lifting the truck off the floor and the heat of the gases as they seeped in through the cracks. The building next to them was blown to pieces. ‘Get down… now!’ Waverly screamed as she punched the accelerator one last time. Just as the cloud pounced Waverly drove the truck at the mine’s double doors and they burst through. Once inside, she did not take her foot off the pedal as they needed to go in as far as they could. Throwing those inside around violently, the truck continued to bounce and deflect off the walls of the mine as it continued its journey until it struck a pillar that was positioned right in the middle of the tunnel. Rebounding back a few inches from the impact the truck came to its final rest, some of the wooden structure falling on it, and then all was silent.

 

From their safe location, the team stared up mortified at the sight before them. The cloud coming from the volcano’s eruption towered miles into the sky. They could see where the pyroclastic cloud had surged down the side of the mountain towards the town. With their experience, they knew that nothing in its path would have survived.

‘Oh god…’ Rosita breathed out covering her mouth with her hand.

‘Would you look at that…’ Jeremy couldn’t help saying. Everyone around them had fallen into stunned silence; simply in awe of Mother Nature’s majestic display.

As the group moved closer together, wrapping their arms around each other to try and find some comfort in the truth that was laid out in front of them, Doc took a moment to acknowledge who had been left behind, ‘so long Waverly…’ he said his voice shaking. ‘So long.’


	13. Chapter 13

 

Somehow amongst the debris that had fallen on the truck, the headlights remained on and blaring down into the tunnel. The force of Waverly’s foot going through the windscreen pierced the silence as all had fallen calm above the surface. The volcano retreated back into the sleeping menace that had been dormant for so long. The ordeal however was not over for those trapped down in the mines.

‘Cover your eyes children,’ Waverly called as she kicked again. The glass around her foot shattered and fell away from the frame that was holding it. It bounced and scattered across the car and the floor. Carefully, Waverly ensure that none of it remained that could any serious injury. Crawling out onto the bonnet of the car, Waverly then turned to the three people trembling inside. Nicole had her arms around the children and was visibly shaking. ‘Come on Lauren, you first sweetheart.’ She put her arms out and after a little uncertainty the little girl slowly clambered out of the truck into Waverly’s arms. Waverly kept them around Lauren’s waist until she was safely across the bonnet and on the ground. She then turned to take Graham’s hand and help him out. Stronger than Lauren, he only needed the hand to assist him through the windscreen. Once he was with his sister, Graham put a protective arm around her shoulders. One which Lauren gratefully received. Turning back one last time, Waverly held her hand out to Nicole who was still catching her breath. ‘You okay?’ she asked as Nicole hesitated. It took a moment, but Nicole finally reached out and took Waverly’s hand. Her movements were weak and clumsy as she climbed over the front seat and out of the windscreen. ‘You’re okay,’ Waverly whispered to her as Nicole awkwardly slid out of the windscreen and onto the bonnet.

When sitting beside Waverly, she fell forward her head landing on Waverly’s shoulder and her hands holding the volcanologist tightly. ‘I thought that was it,’ Nicole wept into Waverly’s neck. ‘I thought we were dead.’

Waverly took Nicole’s face gently in her hands as they pulled apart, ‘there was no way I was going to let that happen… not to you and those beautiful children.’ The women embraced tightly again before Nicole slid off the bonnet and made her way to her children. Rubble scattered as Waverly jumped down from the truck and joined them. ‘Come on then Graham, how about you show us where your hideout is.’

To this Graham grinned. It was something he had had to keep hidden from Nicole as he knew he shouldn’t have been down here. Now he felt vindicated and was glad it was going to be put to use. ‘It’s this way… come on.’ He quickened his step and almost ran off into the distance.

‘Not so fast!’ Nicole called after him. She couldn’t bear losing sight of him now. As Graham slowed his pace, Nicole took Lauren’s hand and with Waverly they followed him through the winding tunnel that led deep into the mines. They hadn’t gone far, but in the pitch black it felt like miles. For most of it they had to feel their way with their hands, guided by Graham, due to the darkness but eventually they turned into a small cave where a flashlight lit up the den.

Nicole looked around at how the young teenagers had put together chairs, a table, a radio and some CDs along with a lamp, which Graham lit up for them, and some shelves which stored food and drink. ‘You built this?’ Nicole feeling a little proud.

‘Yeah, me and guys did,’ he replied casually. ‘I’ve got drinks and food back here and we even have a first aid kit.’

‘Now that’s going to come in handy,’ Nicole said as she crouched down to look at Lauren. All of them bore the injuries of the crash. Lauren’s nose was bleeding and she had a nasty cut on her forehead. ‘Come on sweetheart, let’s assess the damage.’

‘My head hurts,’ Lauren whimpered.

‘I know baby, so does mine,’ Lauren said squeezing her arms. Nicole’s head was also bleeding from a cut to her eyebrow and a graze on her chin. ‘But we have to be brave now okay, can you do that for me?’ A little reluctantly, Lauren nodded and Nicole hugged her tightly.

‘Oh crap!’ Waverly suddenly exclaimed putting a hand to her head.

Nicole stood immediately at her cry, ‘what is it?’

‘I forgot ELF,’ she groaned. Graham, Lauren and Nicole looked at her blankly and a little confused. ‘I left it in the truck.’ She then noticed their questioning expressions. ‘It’s a transmitter device,’ she explained. ‘I hoped we could use it to let people know that we are down here.’ She looked incredibly frustrated with herself as she turned away from the group. ‘I’m going to have to go back for it.’

‘No… no Waverly,’ Lauren protested grabbing her hand. ‘You have to stay here with us.’

Turning back, Waverly was endeared by the little girl’s desperate look, ‘oh honey,’ she smiled. ‘If I don’t get it, no one is going to know we’re down here and we’re pretty buried in.’ She looked around her at the den. ‘This place will do for now, but soon the food and drink will run out… we need ELF.’

‘I’ll come with you…’ Graham offered stepping forward.

‘No… you need to stay here with you Nicole and your sister,’ Waverly instructed gently.

‘But… no one knows these tunnels better than me…’ Graham went on. ‘I could…’

‘Graham…’ Waverly interrupted firmly. ‘You need to stay here.’

‘But…’ Graham tried.

‘Please,’ Waverly cut in again. ‘I don’t think Nicole could take it if anything happened to you…’

‘We don’t want anything to happen to you,’ Lauren said beginning to cry. Waverly felt herself melt at the pleading expression gazing up at her.

‘I second that,’ Nicole said. ‘Very very strongly…’

Waverly met her eyes and she felt it too. She looked between Nicole and the children and she had never felt so at home. Although it had only been a few days, she felt like they were her family and she had to take care of them. ‘Come here…’ she sat herself down on one of the badly made chairs. It wasn’t comfortable but she refrained from showing Graham. She beckoned Nicole and the children in. Nicole took a seat next to her and the children cuddle in on either side. Wrapping one arm around Lauren, Waverly took Nicole’s hand and entwined their fingers. ‘Have any of you ever been deep sea fishing?’

‘Nope…’ Graham laughed at how random it seemed.

‘Well… neither have I,’ Waverly told them which caused the other three to laugh. ‘How about, when we get out of there, all of us go down to Florida, rent a house on the beach, take out a boat and try out this deep sea fishing thing? We’ll fill that boat with the nicest, yummiest fish we can catch and then have a BBQ every night…’ the faces around her brightened at her words. ‘Does that sound good?’ She looked to Nicole first who could only stare at her astonished at Waverly’s commitment to them. ‘What do you think?’

‘That sounds… amazing,’ she breathed out.

‘Yeah Waverly, sounds great,’ Lauren grinned.

‘Well then…’ Waverly nodded getting up. Nicole reluctantly let go of her hand. ‘That is what we’re going to do. I am going to get to ELF, send the signal and when we are rescued, we will go straight down to Florida.’

Lauren looked frightened again, ‘be careful Waverly.’

‘Of course I will,’ Waverly assured them moving towards the entrance to the den. ‘There’s no way I am not coming back to your lovely faces.’ She then gave her full attention to Nicole. ‘Not when they’re this beautiful.’ Their eyes lingered for a moment, then it was as if it was almost too painful as Waverly turned away. Almost flinching, Waverly turned to Graham, ‘can I have one of those flashlights?’ Graham found the biggest one he had and handed it to her. With one last look into Nicole’s eyes, Waverly began to walk away down the tunnel into the darkness.

‘Waverly!’ It was like her feet were not her own as Nicole ran after her. Waverly stopped and after a glance back to check she could still see the children, Nicole jogged to meet her. Without another word she took the volcanologist’s face in her hands and kissed her. Tears fell down her cheeks as she did so. After holding the kiss for a few moments, Nicole pulled away but kept their foreheads together, ‘you come back to us okay.’

Waverly nodded her head against Nicole’s, ‘I will… I promise.’ They kissed again briefly, before she knew she had to go. Unwillingly, she turned from Nicole and began to walk away. Her breath caught in her chest, Nicole watched as Waverly’s shape became increasingly lost in the dark. Then without warning, a tremor shook the mines and rocks began to cascade down and cave in from all sides. The quake shook both Waverly and Nicole from their feet. When they had both managed to get up, they could no longer see each other as the rock fall had completely blocked the tunnel.

‘Waverly!’ Nicole screamed trying to stay on her feet.

On the other side, Waverly desperately shone her torch around the wall hoping to get some glimpse of the woman on the other side. But as more rocks fell, she was forced to retreat away from it so that she didn’t become buried underneath them. Still she screamed out Nicole’s name in hope of an answer.

At Nicole’s cries, Lauren and Graham had come running out of the den and looked in dismay at the sight in front of them, ‘Waverly!’ Lauren shouted. ‘Is she okay Nicole? Is she okay?’

Nicole took Lauren into her arms, ‘I don’t know baby…’ she admitted her voice cracking due to the level of emotion rising inside of her. ‘I don’t know…’ Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Graham moving closer to the rock fall. ‘No… Graham… move back!’ she grabbed his arm and tugged him back towards the den with herself and Lauren.

‘But Waverly…’ Graham argued using his flashlight to point. Now Nicole could not answer as she just stood and stared at the rocks, not knowing if Waverly was alive and cut off from them or buried underneath.

‘Nicole!’ Waverly screamed again on the other side, but still no answer. ‘Oh god…’ Everything in her chest hurt, gripped with fear and dread that Nicole and the children had been buried underneath the rocks. She simply had no way of knowing. Her legs gave way beneath her and she almost fell to the floor, but another vibration hit the mines and she was forced to stumble back once again. This time, all the rocks falling surrounded her. One rolling from the wall knocked her legs out from under her and she fell back into them. The moment she did so, searing pain shot up her arm and she found herself screaming out into the dark.

It seemed like an age before the tunnels stopped shaking and the rocks stopped falling so Waverly was able to try and get herself up. However the agony coming from her right arm prevented her from doing so with any ease. Stretching, she was able to wrap her fingers of her left hand around the handle of the torch which had been shaken from her grasp during the quake and pull it towards her. Spinning it round she lit up her arm and saw that near her elbow, bone had sliced through her flesh and was sticking out. Exhausted and with her broken arm throbbing unbearably, Waverly lay back on the rocks and wondered if she should just give up and wait there to die. However, one face flashed across her eyes, the gentle eyes, the soft lips and smile, the hair that fell perfectly around her neck and shoulders and if there was any chance that Nicole and the children were alive, she was going to fulfil her promise and get them out.

With tears in her eyes, due to the excruciating pain, and gritting her teeth, Waverly managed to roll herself over and in the distance she saw the light coming from the truck’s high beams. Uneasily, holding her injured arm across her chest, she managed to stagger herself to her feet. A head rush hit her once she straightened. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then began to put one foot in front of the other. It seemed like it was thousands of steps before she reached the bonnet of the car sticking out towards her in the tunnel. With every step, even the minutest jolt to her arm was agonizing. Now she had to find a way to crawl into the truck’s cabin.

She used her good arm to pull herself up and wriggling feet first she threw the flashlight into the truck’s cabin with her body following closely behind. The moment she did, another tremor hit and shook more rocks loose around her. It was clear immediately that the truck’s fragile frame was struggling with the sheer weight on top of it as it began to buckle and bend down towards Waverly’s head. The small space that she had managed to crawl into suddenly became half the size. Waverly was forced to lie down across the front seats her head near the wheel. Clinging onto the torch with one hand and holding her broken arm across her chest, every move was desperate and unwelcome but as the roof of the truck continued to buckle she was forced to adjust and found her face pressed against the seat and her body as low as it could get. All around her, metal groaned and screeched as it fought against the rocks piling on top of it. Then to Waverly’s relief, as she lay pinned down between the metal against one cheek and the leather seats of the truck against the other, the shaking stopped and the metal bent no more.

With this alleviation, Waverly was able to modify her position by only a few inches but enough to able to see ELF sitting in the foot well on the passenger side. Shining the torch on it she could see that the button to turn it on was within reach of her good arm. Twisting as much as she could, she moved the rocks around the box out of the way and with one finger was able to press the switch.

A sharp click.

Nothing.

Exasperated, Waverly turned it off then back on again.

Still nothing.

‘You have got to be kidding me,’ Waverly groaned feeling the fear building up inside her. This was their only hope. She shone the torch on the box again and realised there was nothing she could do to fix it… except one. Adjusting her position again, she brought her leg back and kicked the box as hard as she could. When this didn’t work, she tried again and again so that her foot slammed repeatedly into the top of the yellow box. ‘Come on… you stupid… damn… thing…’ she breathed out between kicks. ‘…will you… fucking… well…’ She was stopped as suddenly the box started beeping and the light on top started blinking red. ‘Work…’ she gasped as she realised that it was. Completely out of her control, she found herself laughing. Laughing in utter relief.

She had absolutely no idea if it would work. She had no idea if anyone was even listening. Now all she could do was remain lying in her perilous position, praying that there was not another rock fall and that someone somewhere would pick up the signal.

 

 


	14. Chapter 14

 

With a lazy arm, Waverly stretched out in front of her. Lying on her side, she could feel the softness of the pillow against her cheek as the morning sun filtered in through the lace curtains. All was quiet as she gradually opened her eyes. On the wall she saw the shadowy shapes from the curtains dance upon it. It was then that she felt the arm wrapped loosely her waist. She looked down at the hand lying against her stomach. With a gentle smile, she took it and brought it to her lips so that she could kiss it gently. As soon as she did, the woman lying behind her stirred as if she had been waiting for a sign that Waverly was awake.

‘Morning,’ Nicole whispered kissing Waverly’s bear shoulder. She pulled Waverly in tighter but Waverly had turned to face her before she could do so. Lying on her opposite side, with a delicate finger she moved Nicole’s morning hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. ‘Did you sleep okay?’

Tracing her hand to Nicole’s neck, stroking it with her thumb, Waverly gazed into her eyes, ‘the best I have in years,’ she whispered back. ‘How about you?’

‘Same…’ Nicole chuckled lightly. Turning slightly, she glanced over her shoulder at the clock. When she returned to face Waverly, she had a mischievous look on her face, ‘do you think the children are up yet?’

Waverly looked very intrigued, ‘why? What are you thinking?’ She had a pretty good idea of exactly what was going through Nicole’s mind; she just enjoyed hearing it. Instead of saying it, Nicole wanted to show her. Moving the covers, she carefully manoeuvred her body so that she was lying on top of Waverly but still supporting some of her weight with her arms. ‘Well…’ Waverly giggled. ‘I like what you’re thinking…’

‘I thought you might,’ Nicole smiled leaning down to kiss her. As she did, she allowed her arms to relax so that all her weight was pressing into the volcanologist. Waverly gasped softly into Nicole’s kisses at the feeling it sent flowing through her body. As their lips and tongues danced and deepened their hands began to explore the skin that was already revealed. Tender touches flowed and caressed over soft curves causing senses to heighten and breath to escape slightly parted lips. It was as they do so that they both wordlessly agreed that they needed more. Carefully, Nicole sat up, pulling Waverly with her allowing her to easily hook her fingers under the hem of Waverly’s strap top and pull it over her head. Waverly then did the same to Nicole and once the top had been discarded, hands began to adore and touch the new skin that was now caressed by the morning sunlight. As her lips kissed Waverly’s chest, Nicole lay her back down on the bed and the two found heaven in each other’s arms.

 

‘Waverly, the line is tugging!’ Graham cried jumping up and down at the back of the boat. Above them the sky was pure blue without a cloud in sight, their fishing trip basking in a gorgeous afternoon sun.

Leaping up from her seat, Waverly rushed over, ‘okay, grab it!’ she called. Graham did as he was instructed putting both hands on the handle and holding the rod tightly in his hands. Waverly stood behind him and placed her hands on his to help him. Together their strength steadied the pull of the fish fighting them in the water. ‘We have to start reeling it in…’ Waverly told him. ‘I’ve got the rod, you turn the handle…’ Nervously, Graham placed his fingers on the handle as Waverly told him and began to turn it awkwardly. It took a moment for him to get into the flow, especially with their catch pulling and tugging the line so violently.

‘It’s hard,’ Graham commented gritting his teeth.

‘Just keep going… we’ve got him,’ Waverly said calmly. Her strong arms were allowing her to comfortable keep hold of the handle.

‘It won’t turn,’ Graham groaned as it appeared to be stuck.

‘You’re trying too hard,’ Waverly said gently. ‘Don’t force it, just let it turn.’ Listening to her words, Graham did as she said and found that it began to turn more easily. ‘That’s it! Keep going!’

‘Come on Waverly!’ Lauren called in support.

‘You might be needed soon Lauren,’ Waverly called glancing back. ‘You any good at catching fish?’

Lauren looked at Waverly bemused, ‘catching fish?’

‘This thing might fly into the boat when we pull it in and I need you to catch it,’ Waverly continued.

‘Ew!’ Lauren exclaimed. ‘I’m not doing that!’

Beside her, Nicole couldn’t stop laughing, ‘she’s joking baby…’

Lauren stared at Nicole and then at Waverly who was shooting a very amused look at the little girl as she kept her grip on the rod, ‘oh…’ Lauren’s expression turned quickly to grumpy. ‘Not funny.’

‘Oh honey, don’t be silly,’ Nicole chuckled squeezing her arm. Lauren’s expression however did not change as she sulked away. Biting her lip entertained, Nicole rolled her eyes and followed Lauren to the back of the boat.

‘I think I’m in trouble with your sister,’ Waverly said playfully to Graham as he continued to fight with reeling the line in. ‘How you getting on?’

‘I think I’m getting it,’ he said as he was able to turn the handle more easily.

‘Yeah… looks like you are…’ Waverly agreed. ‘Just keep going!’

 

Sitting behind the wheel of the boat, Waverly gazed out in front of her as it hit the waves gracefully and broke through the water back towards shore. At the front of the boat, Graham and Lauren sat in their life jackets watching the sea fly past. Behind them sat a bucket full of fish ready to be cooked for the BBQ that evening. It had been a very successful outing. Lauren had quickly understood Waverly’s joke and the two had made up with a hug before celebrating Graham’s very decent catch. After being given a chance to hold the catch, Lauren had seen that fish weren’t as disgusting as she first thought. After that, she was very happy to catch any that might fly into the boat.

Waverly’s hands resting gently on the wheel to keep the boat’s steady path, she felt two arms snaked around her waist and a chin rest on her shoulder, ‘thank you,’ came Nicole’s voice near her ear.

Waverly relaxed back into the embrace taking one hand of the wheel to rest on the hands on her stomach stroking them softly, ‘what for?’

‘This… all of this…’ Nicole told her. She too was looking out at the happiness of her children. Graham had clearly spotted something in the water as he screamed and pointed it out to Lauren. ‘They are so happy. I haven’t seen them like this since their father left.’

Waverly’s heart fluttered, ‘that’s all I want for them,’ she said. ‘Them and you.’

‘But what about you?’ Nicole asked turning her head into Waverly’s neck. ‘What do you want?’

Keeping her hand on the wheel, Waverly turned her head and kissed Nicole, ‘this…’ she replied as their lips parted slowly. ‘them, you… all of this.’

‘And you’re happy?’ Nicole checked.

Waverly frowned, ‘why are you so unsure?’

‘I don’t know,’ Nicole admitted with a shrug. ‘I guess after losing Dad, then my sister… I didn’t think I would ever have this… seems unreal somehow.’

With a smile, Waverly brought her hand up to cup Nicole’s face, ‘it’s real…’ her face turned gentle but serious. ‘I love you.’ Breath caught itself in Nicole’s chest as she took the words in. ‘I love you and them, so much.’

Little by little, Nicole’s mouth curled into an elated smile. She had to blink a few times before she was able to speak again, ‘you do?’ Waverly simply nodded. Nicole leaned forwards and placed her forehead against Waverly’s, ‘I love you too…’ she whispered softly.

Waverly desperately wanted to hold the moment, but she was aware that she was still in charge of the boat speeding through the waves. She kissed Nicole tenderly, before turning back around so she could place both hands back on the wheel as they approached shore. Nicole returned her arms around Waverly’s waist and held her tightly. Both of them watched the children wave excitedly at those on passing boats and the pier. A sight neither of them thought they would see when the truck smashed into the mine as the volcano exploded around them.

 

Giggling into the kisses, Waverly walked backwards into the bedroom pulling Nicole with her. The sun had long tucked itself behind the horizon casting a beautiful sunset onto the houses which lay at the edge of the beach. As it trickled in through the window the room was lit in a soft orange glow as Nicole tugged at Waverly’s hips, holding onto them as they went. When the back of Waverly’s legs hit the bed they stopped and lingered in the moment allowing themselves to indulge in the feel of each other’s lips.

Suddenly Nicole pulled away breathless staring into Waverly’s eyes. The intensity of her stare caused Waverly to worry a little, ‘what’s wrong?’ she asked keeping her hands around Nicole’s neck and her chest pressed in tightly to Nicole’s body.

‘Marry me,’ it came out quicker and sharper than she intended. Waverly exhaled stunned. Immediately, Nicole broke their gaze, ‘sorry… that was…’ she felt completely idiotic. ‘… stupid… I…’

‘No…’ Waverly placed a finger on her lips. Her eyes flickered into Nicole’s as her heart beat quickened. ‘Say it again…’

At this, Nicole’s embarrassment melted away, ‘marry me?’ she said more deliberately.

There was a pause before Waverly found her ability to speak, ‘yes,’ Waverly nodded a tear coming to her eye. ‘Absolutely… yes…’

‘Yes?’ Once again, Nicole had to check.

At this Waverly chuckled endeared, ‘yes.’ With joyful laughter, Nicole swept Waverly up burying her head into her shoulder. The happiness she felt was indescribable, to the point where she thought she might explode just like the mountain. The embraced lingered as they both enjoyed the moment. When they came away Waverly gripped Nicole’s face tightly, ‘this is insane.’

‘I know,’ Nicole agreed still laughing. ‘It’s ridiculous… but… I love you.’

‘Will the children understand this?’ Waverly asked carefully.

At this, Nicole grinned, ‘I already asked them.’

Waverly recoiled back slightly, ‘you did what?’ she asked gently surprised.

‘I asked them how they would feel about all of us becoming a family,’ she explained. ‘To which Lauren said, aren’t we already?’ Waverly’s eyes widened at this, touched by just the thought of it. ‘So I said, yes but I mean more officially. I don’t think they fully understood but they want you Waverly, they want you as much as I do, obviously not in the same way but they see you as their parent… there’s no questioning that.’

‘And I love them,’ Waverly smiled. ‘… after Mariam, I didn’t think I could love anyone again, but I do…’ she traced her fingers down the side of Nicole’s face adoring her beauty. ‘I really do…’

In the darkening glow from the fading sunset, Waverly connected their lips again. Burying her hands into Nicole’s hair, she fell back onto the bed taking Nicole with her. Entangled in each other’s arms, their bodies sank into the comfort of the beach house bed.

Nicole pulled away again at a thought, ‘I haven’t got you a ring…’ she confessed.

‘That’s okay,’ Waverly giggled. ‘I like to study rocks, not wear them…’

A thoughtful expression then came over Nicole’s face, she moved off Waverly slightly so she could reach the bedside table. She pulled the draw open and reached for something inside. She enclosed her hand around it and kept it hidden until she was lying back comfortably beside Waverly. ‘I can offer you this…’ she slowly opened her hand. Lying in her palm, catching the last of the sunset’s glow was Lauren’s smoky quartz crystal.

Waverly took it, ‘Lauren’s lucky crystal.’

‘She gave it to me, when she knew I was going to ask you to join our family… for luck.’ Nicole went on as Waverly continued to study it. ‘I guess it really works…’

Wrapping it in her hand tightly, Waverly paid no more attention to it as she brought her arms around Nicole’s neck to pull her in, ‘I guess it does,’ she agreed before they lost themselves in a loving kiss. Slowly, Nicole moved her body back onto Waverly’s and as their hands and mouths worked with more passion, the stone slipped from Waverly’s grasp. It trickled down Nicole’s back and soundlessly onto the floor; the only witness as Waverly and Nicole celebrated their commitment in each other’s arms long into the night.

 

Lying as comfortably as she could, Waverly felt a tear trickle down her cheek. The roof of the truck no longer groaned and buckled but the pain in her arm had not lessened and her thirst and hunger only worsened with each passing hour. She had lost count of how long she had been entombed in the truck’s cabin and with her watch broken due to the rock fall she had no way of knowing. She wasn’t sure if she even wanted to know. The light on ELF continued to blink which gave her some hope but this was fading along with her state of mind. All she could do was close her eyes and hope to sleep and continue to dream of the life she wanted with Nicole. Sometimes they were on the boat, sometimes they were on the beach with the children but the dreams and thoughts she enjoyed the most were those where she was in Nicole’s arms. The comfort they brought offered from reprieve from her dire situation where she was beginning to accept she might die. She could still see Mariam, she could still feel her love for her, but its intensity and desire had now been replaced by another woman. A woman that Waverly had no idea whether she was even alive. The despair at the thought was paralysing. All she could do was wait and hope, hope to feel the warmth of Nicole’s body against her own once again.


	15. Chapter 15

 

Back in the safety of their office, glumly, still coming to terms with what had happened, the team continued to unpack their equipment. Silently, Jeremy unpacked the machines that had been slung into their cases during their quick departure and placed it on the table beside him ready for testing. Dolls was already uploading the data that had been collected ready fort analysis whilst Rosita sat despondently at her desk staring more out of the window than at the forms she had to fill in ready to complete a report on what had happened at Purgatory’s Peak.

‘Why didn’t she jump?’ Rosita said almost without meaning to. Realising that it had come out of her mouth rather than staying in her head she looked round at the others who had stopped what they were doing. ‘Sorry… I didn’t mean to…’

‘It’s okay,’ Jeremy assured her. ‘It’s what we’re all thinking.’ He looked at the others who smiled weakly. ‘Even if she had tried, I don’t think she would have had enough time.’

Rosita nodded and looked at her lap where her fingers played downheartedly with her pen, ‘I miss her already… even the nagging when I haven’t completed my reports… like this one.’ She looked at it, so many questions and boxes over ten pages. Gus had always asked her to do, saying that it was due to the fact that Rosita had always had a way with words.

‘Would you like us to nag you instead?’ Dolls asked with the hint of a wry smile. Behind him, on an expansive panel of buttons, screens and lights, a solo red one, high up in the far right corner was blinking, completely unnoticed.

Rosita appreciated it and let breath escape her lips in a soft laugh, ‘that would be for Gus… but how… how do we possibly…’ she stopped speaking the emotion and tears becoming too overwhelming. She gathered herself after wiping her cheeks. ‘… how do we possibly replace Waverly? Not that we can ever replace Gus but…’

The group looked between each other, no one had the answer. ‘We don’t,’ Dolls said. ‘How can we?’

‘I guess we just remember them,’ Jeremy spoke up. ‘They were good people and they were good to us and this team.’

‘We should do something for them,’ Rosita suggested. ‘So people will know what they did for the Survey and for people all over the world.’

Jeremy nodded in agreement, ‘we have to make sure people don’t forget that.’

‘Forget what?’ The team all spun round to the door where Doc stood propped up on his crutches.

‘Hey!’ the gang said together as they smiled glad to see him.

‘How did the check-up go?’ Rosita asked getting to her feet to hug him carefully.

Once Rosita let him go, Doc used his crutches to enter the room, ‘good… no extra damage done in the getaway, I just have to take it easy and in four to six weeks I’ll have this damn cast off.’ He tapped it with one of his crutches to show his irritation with it. ‘Right now, all I want to do is…’ he stopped. Something had caught his eye as he looked beyond Rosita up into the far corner of the room above Dolls.

Rosita frowned at her friend’s sudden fixed stare, ‘Doc? What is it?’

Slowly, Doc’s eyes widened, ‘how long has that light been blinking?’

They all turned and looked at it, ‘maybe a day or two?’ Jeremy shrugged thinking it was nothing. ‘Probably just a piece of our equipment malfunctioning, it all took a pretty good hit during our evacuation.’

However, the look on Doc’s face told a very different story. He looked down as a huge grin appeared on his face. Taking them all by surprise he began to bang his crutches on the floor, ‘thank you NASA!’ he cried elated. ‘Thank you NASA… thank you NASA…. THANK YOU NASA!’

 

At first, Waverly thought she was hearing things. She had drifted off into another uncomfortable slumber as she continued to cradle her aching arm surrounded by metal and rocks. It was a light chinking, like someone trying to carve into rock then little by little it became louder and she swore she could hear voices. Adjusting her head slightly, she tried to look out of the window but all she saw were the jagged edges of the rock fall waiting to fall in. There was nothing else, no light, no sound, nothing to tell her anything was any different. Accepting that she was imagining it; she placed her head back down against the seat. Her stomach rumbled through starvation and her throat stung due to thirst. She had been ready to give up for many hours, even the hope of Nicole slipping away.

‘Hello!’

The cry ripped the thought the air so sharply that it caused Waverly to jolt startled. Her eyes flew open and began to realise that she really was hearing something. ‘Hello?’ she cried back.

Now the sounds of rocks breaking and falling became louder, ‘Waverly Earp?’ came another shout.

Breath escaped her mouth in a gasp, ‘oh my god…’ she could hardly believe it. ‘Yes! I’m Waverly! I’m trapped here!’

From the darkness came the sound of muted cheering, ‘we’re coming to get you… don’t move!’

Waverly looked around her at the inch of room around her entire body, ‘yeah… not really a problem.’ Almost frozen in shock, Waverly remained still as she listened to the sound of the rescue team working. With each minute the crashes and groans of the rocks became louder and louder. It was slow work, way too slow to Waverly. Now rescue was here, she was desperate for it to arrive quickly. She looked down between her legs at where ELF was still blinking, ‘you beautiful beautiful thing,’ she said stroking it awkwardly with her booted toes.

Finally, after what seemed like an age, by craning her neck back Waverly could see the stones at the distorted window near her head were beginning to be taken away revealing a friendly face of a man in an orange helmet. ‘Quite a situation you got yourself into here,’ he laughed gently. Waverly couldn’t reply as she had already started to cry. At this, the man reached inside and placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. ‘It’s alright, we’ve got you now.’ He looked back down the tunnel at where many other men were working to take the tunnel apart so that Waverly could get out. ‘She’s okay!’ He looked back in at her but continued shouting to his colleagues. ‘Broken arm, and a bit bruised but…’ with her good arm Waverly reached back and took his hand in appreciation. He was noticeably touched by this. ‘… she’s okay.’

 

‘In the mines?’ Rosita exclaimed as they ran up the steps to the roof. She stopped for a moment and sighed, ‘that woman is too clever for her own good!’ Behind her, Doc was being helped up the steps by Dolls and Jeremy as they made their way to the helicopter waiting for them.

‘Two days…’ Dolls was saying, his arm wrapped around Doc’s to help take his weight. ‘Two days without food or water trapped in the mines…’

‘How did none of us connect that damn light to ELF?’ Jeremy asked. It was clear he was very annoyed with himself. As he, Doc and Dolls made it to the roof he caught his breath. ‘So stupid!’

With good intentions, Rosita slapped him gently on the cheek, ‘hey… none of that crap! We’re all feeling it, we don’t need to hear it.’ Understanding, Jeremy nodded still looking ashamed. Sympathetic, Rosita pulled him in for a hug. ‘She’s going to be okay… she thought to get ELF, get to the mines… she’s going to be okay…’ Holding Rosita tightly, Jeremy nodded again into her shoulder.

‘Hey you two!’ Dolls cried from beside the helicopter. ‘How about we get there and find out?’ Beside him, the pilot was helping Doc get into the helicopter first. Dolls passed up his crutches and got in afterwards.

‘She won’t care Jeremy… not if she, Nicole and the children are alive,’ Rosita said as they made their way over.

‘How do we know they’re with her?’ Jeremy asked.

Rosita laughed, ‘did you see the way Waverly looked at Nicole, there is no way that she was getting out of there without her.’ With that, she climbed up into the helicopter with the help of Dolls’ hand. Jeremy thought on her last words and realised that his question had been a little stupid. It was clear from very early on, that Waverly was going to do anything she could to get Nicole and the children out. Once Jeremy was in, the doors of the helicopter were slammed and the pilot skilfully took it into the air and veered it away from the buildings ready to make its way to what was left of Purgatory Peak.

 

The truck now cleared of the rocks and debris that had encased it, the medic had been able to reach inside and see to Waverly’s badly broken arm. Waverly still cradled but now it was bandaged tightly the bone excruciatingly but expertly reset. Still within the confines of the mines’ walls the rescue work was still awkward and difficult but it was clear from all those involved in helping her they were greatly experienced in working in such conditions.

‘Okay, this isn’t going to be easy,’ the first man was saying to her. ‘But you need to wiggle yourself out of this thing.’ With a slightly gulp, Waverly nodded. ‘My name is Bobby by the way… just in case you want to swear at someone while you do it.’ This caused Waverly to lightly chuckle gratefully. ‘Right… when you’re ready…’

At the first movement, Waverly screamed as her arm reacted, ‘oh Jesus,’ she gasped.

‘You got this,’ Bobby told her. ‘And we’ve got you.’

With a grit of the teeth Waverly pushed her feet against the other door and got herself up so her shoulders were nearer the window. She felt Bobby carefully slide his hands under her arm pits to support and help her. ‘It hurts Bobby,’ she winced.

‘I know…’ he said. ‘But after this last bit, that’s it… you’re out.’

‘Has there been any sign of Nicole and the children?’ Waverly asked catching her breath as she still held her bad arm tightly.

Bobby looked past the truck down the tunnel into the darkness, ‘we haven’t been able to get that far yet,’ he replied. Waverly’s heart sank. ‘The truck was blocking our way and we can see another rock fall beyond it.’ He felt Waverly become heavier in his hands. ‘No… don’t do that… don’t give up. It does not mean the entire mine has collapsed… not at all.’

‘Really?’

‘Absolutely, once we get you out, we can move the truck and start working on what lies beyond it. If they are alive in there, we are going to get them.’

At these words, Waverly found the strength to move again. She had to twist and turn awkwardly and ignore the searing pain in her arm but eventually her head protruded out of the window with Bobby supporting her weight with his arm under her shoulders.

‘Ah shit… my arm!’ Waverly cried out. At this, another man rushed forward and took it gently in his hands so that it didn’t catch on the truck as Waverly was pulled out. Once her full torso was free, she could hear cheering erupting down the tunnel to the where the entrance was now a lot closer that it had been before. The rescue team had dug away the mine until they were able to reach the truck. As Waverly’s feet were lowered onto the ground she stared stunned at all the faces delightedly clapping at the sight of her. As she stood up, a medic came to her side and slung a blanket around her shoulders. Looking out at all the faces, she could see their joy but she could not relate to any of it. None of them were the three faces she so desperately wanted to see.

 

‘I think they’ve got her!’ Jeremy screamed as the group made their way through the debris and devastation to the great cavern that was now the mine entrance. All around them Purgatory’s Peak was gone. No building was left standing. It was just a vast heap of wood and metal from the town that had been blown to pieces by the mountain. As night had fallen, great twisted shapes of ruins cast shadows across the crowd gathered as huge search lights lit up the people and the entrance of the mine where Waverly was being helped out to the sound of applause.

‘Waverly!’ Rosita cried pushing her way through the clapping rescue teams. All had done their job and were elated. ‘Waverly!’ It took a moment, but finally Waverly was able to locate the face related to the cry. When they were finally close enough, Rosita threw her arms around her friend, carefully so as to avoid crushing Waverly’s bandaged arm. ‘Oh my god… we thought you were toast!’

Rosita had barely let go before Jeremy’s arms were wrapped around her, ‘are you okay?’ he asked.

‘I’m fine… I’m fine,’ Waverly said a little breathless. ‘But Nicole and the children are still there…’

‘We honestly thought God’s great show had got the better of you,’ Dolls admitted as he took his turn to embrace her.

‘Yes, so did I,’ Waverly admitted. ‘But Nicole and the children…’ she stopped herself as she looked at the faces in front of her, they were one short. ‘Where’s Gus?’

The group shared awkward and melancholy glances, ‘she didn’t make it Waves,’ Rosita said taking it upon herself to tell her. ‘She was swept away when we…’ Once again she was overcome with emotion. ‘When we got out.’ Doc’s arm around her shoulders offered comfort.

Waverly just stared at them all in shock as she continued to hold her arm close to her chest. She now cradled almost for comfort at the words she had just absorbed. ‘She got to see most of the show,’ Jeremy added.

‘Were Nicole and the children in the truck with you?’ Dolls asked looking at the state of it as it was pulled out by a tow truck revealing more of the tunnel. It was slow progress and had to be halted as it jammed and didn’t move any further.

‘They were on the other side of rock fall,’ Waverly told them her voice quivering. ‘I don’t know if…’

‘Hey,’ Rosita took Waverly’s face in her hands. ‘That mayor is made of tough stuff, if anyone can survive being alive in there, it’s her.’ They watched as the rescue team puzzled over why the truck wasn’t moving the last few feet to allow them access to the tunnel and the last past of the rock fall blocking the way. ‘She’ll be okay Waves…’

Turning back to watch the rescue men work, Waverly’s face became focused on the black space that existed beyond the bonnet of the misshapen and crumpled vehicle. If the men were finally able to get it free of its rock holding, Waverly would have the answer she had suffered over relentlessly for the last two days. The pain of the question and not knowing was much stronger than that she felt in her arm. Whilst being stuck in the cabin, Waverly had realised that she was in love with Nicole. Even in the short few days she had known her, the mayor had taken Waverly’s breath away and she wanted that to continue for the rest of her life. She wanted the dream. She wanted it all with Nicole and the children.


	16. Chapter 16

 

_One year ago_

Depressed and dejected, Waverly stared into the drink on the bar in front of her. She almost hated the taste of it as she took another gulp. She grimaced as the liquid passed, almost burned, down her throat and slammed the glass down on the wooden surface. The sound caused the bar tender to turn and roll his eyes slightly.

‘I guess you want another?’ he asked taking the glass.

‘Just keep the coming,’ Waverly said blankly without looking at him. With a shake of the head the tender took the bottle and poured her another before putting the bottle back and turning to another customer. Waverly didn’t care what his opinion was; she just wanted her glass filled back every time it was empty.

‘Oh Jesus…’ A little shocked Waverly look sideways to see Gus arrive and take the seat next to her. ‘Look at the state of you…’

Waverly gulped down the latest mouthful and looked away, ‘Gus, what are you doing here?’

‘I came to see why my best volcanologist seems to have dropped off the face of the earth,’ Gus replied. ‘Not replying to my calls or my messages related to insistent demands to come into the office.’ Waverly tried to ignore her by staring straight ahead as she drank down another mouthful of the liquor. ‘You can’t go on like this.’

‘I will go on however I see fit to go on,’ Waverly said coldly.

Gus sighed, ‘you may think you can sustain this, but it’s going to kill you.’

‘Maybe that’s the point.’

With a raise of the eyebrows, Gus carefully placed a hand on Waverly’s as it still held the nearly empty glass, ‘do you think that’s what she would have wanted?’ At this, Waverly’s head dropped. ‘I know what today is Waverly…’ Gus went on. ‘I know it’s been a year.’ She watched as a solo tear trickled out of Waverly’s eye. ‘It’s okay that it hurts.’

‘I’m not a child Gus,’ Waverly snapped.

‘I know,’ Gus nodded. ‘But sometimes we need reminding that pain, emotional pain, has to happen and somehow we have to find a way to tolerate it and move on.’ She squeezed Waverly’s hand. ‘And pain does move on, it doesn’t last forever.’

Waverly let go of her glass, ‘it feels like this is never going to end… every day is the same… every day, I wake up and all I see is her and it just… I can’t breathe.’

‘Oh honey,’ Gus smiled sadly showing her sympathy, ‘because you loved her.’ Waverly’s face creased with pain as the tears began to flow more freely. ‘But there will be another for you.’ Waverly mouthed the word no as she shook her head. ‘Yes there will…’ Gus said firmly. ‘You mark my words. There will be another woman, one day, that will sweep you off your feet, when you’re ready.’

‘What if I’m never ready?’ Waverly asked vulnerably.

‘Trust me… your heart will know when you’re ready,’ Gus assured her stroking her thumb over the back of Waverly’s hand. ‘The heart always does.’

It was torment as Waverly watched the teams struggle and toil over getting the truck moved but finally it did. With a screech and groan it bucked and bounced over the rubble around it as the tow truck carefully pulled it free. As soon as it had, the teams moved in. The rocks that had fallen were easily moved by hand but they needed cautious handling to ensure that the roof of the mines did not collapse in around them. They didn’t work quickly enough for Waverly as she felt like she was holding her breath for the entire time. Her chest ached and her heart pounded at every rock that was removed and placed aside.

 

_Six months ago_

Visibly disappointed, Amy shrugged on her jacket as she stood in Waverly’s doorway. She braced herself, ready to fight back the tears that she could feel were coming. Dressed in only sweat pants and a strap top, Waverly stood in the middle of her living room watching her leave.

‘You’re going to find yourself very lonely Waverly,’ the wounded woman said with a shaking lip. ‘This really could have been something.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Waverly shrugged as if she had nothing else to give.

After adjusting the collar of her jacket, Amy threw her arms out wide in protest, ‘are you really that afraid to love someone?’

‘I don’t know,’ Waverly replied. Breath filled her chest then left it slowly. ‘I just know that this doesn’t feel right, because I can’t give you what you want.’

‘And what is it that I want?’ Amy demanded hurt.

Letting out a slow sigh, Waverly gazed at her, ‘me,’ she said. ‘There’s no part of me, that I can give you right now.’

The hurting woman shook her head, almost amazed, ‘if you can’t give it to me… who will you give it to?’

The fact hurt Waverly just as much, Amy was amazing and it scared her that she didn’t feel a thing. ‘I guess I just have to wait and hope… hope that somehow, one day, I can.’

Now tears were escaping Amy’s eyes, ‘well I can’t wait Waverly…’ she whimpered. ‘It’s too hard.’

Nodding, Waverly looked away down at the floor, ‘I understand… I’m sorry, that I’ve hurt you.’

‘She’ll be pretty damn special,’ Amy sighed wiping the tears off her cheeks. Waverly looked up feeling her own pain from her guilt. ‘Whoever manages to break into that heart of yours…’ She brought her bag strap up on her shoulder and gripped it tightly. ‘… whatever you do, if you find her, don’t let her go.’

 

Gradually a ripple of applause began to pass from person to person slowly filtering its way back to Waverly and the team as they watched, ‘oh Waverly…’ Rosita breathed out knowing what it meant.

Waverly said nothing, she was already moving. She had slipped out of the blanket around her shoulders much to the concern of the medic who had been standing with her and made her way clumsily through the rubble down to the entrance of the mines. At first she saw nothing and wondered why people were clapping, then she heard the men in the entrance calling to someone and then the beam of the torch light from down the tunnel.

‘Is it them?’ Jeremy asked craning to see through the people as everyone moved forward to get a better look.

The clapping and cheers became louder as three weary shadows made their way down the tunnel accompanied by a rescue team guiding their way. A taller figure held the hands of the smaller two either side as they stepped out into the beams of the rescue lights. One of the small shadows held a lead on which the shape of a dog helped to pull them towards all the waiting people. They blinked at the harshness of the rescue lights, slightly bewildered at all the cheering that was greeting them.

‘It is… oh my god… it is!’ Rosita shouted. ‘It’s Nicole and the children!’

As she stared out into the glare, Nicole scanned the crowd for the only face she wanted to see. It was quite overwhelming to see so many faces so glad to see her. Beside her, Lauren clung onto Nicole burying her head into Nicole’s side until something caught her eye. ‘Nicole… it’s Waverly!’ The little girl had spotted the volcanologist pushing her way through the rescue teams to get down to them. Lauren let go of Nicole and with Ruffy tore up the side of the crater. ‘Waverly!’ It didn’t take her long to reach Waverly as the two fell into each other’s arms. ‘You’re alive… we were so afraid you weren’t!’

‘It’s so good to see you sweetheart,’ Waverly beamed holding Laurens face with her good hand.

‘Nicole… it’s Waverly!’ Lauren screamed back at Nicole was now a lot closer.

Graham joined the embrace as Nicole just stood and stared at the woman hugging her children in front of her. Just as Waverly hadn’t believed in the voices of the rescue at first, Nicole was struggling to believe that Waverly was really stood in front of her alive. Every breath felt as it was trapped in her chest. With a shake of the head, she gave in and rushed forward throwing her arms around Waverly’s shoulders. This caused the clapping and cheering around them to become even louder as the people realised just what they had achieved that day after hours and hours of struggle. Pulling away, Nicole held Waverly’s face and allowed her eyes to cast over it. Despite the dirt and blood, it was still the most beautiful face she had ever seen. Their eyes lingered for a moment longer before their lips yearned to meet. The women gave in to a passionate kiss, not caring about all the people around them. Still holding onto Waverly on either side, Lauren and Graham laughed gleefully between them.

‘Come on kids… give them some room,’ Rosita whispered gently pulling them aside.

Free from the weights on either side, which had been very welcome, Waverly was able to push more of her body into Nicole as they kissed again. When they pulled apart their foreheads found each other and they gazed into each other’s eyes. Holding Waverly’s face, Nicole used her thumb to wipe away a tear that was trickling down it.

Waverly remembered Gus’ words that day in the bar and she finally saw the truth in them. ‘I love you,’ she said softly. It made it more of a whisper amongst the continued cheering all around them as the rescue teams congratulated each other on their successful efforts but due to Nicole’s attention only being on Waverly, she heard it, loud and clear. ‘Two days trapped in that truck, saying those words was all I could think about.’

It took Nicole a few moments to collect her thoughts as she cupped Waverly’s face tenderly, ‘it’s also all I thought about,’ she said. ‘I love you too.’ She kissed Waverly again before burying her head into the volcanologist’s neck, relieved to feel her warmth again. Sniffing through tears, Nicole looked around until she spotted the children. ‘Kids… come here…’ she beckoned them in so the whole family could embrace tightly. This caused more rapturous applause and cheering all around them, especially from Waverly’s team.

 

‘Everyone strapped in?’ came the call from the pilot.

Nicole checked the straps on Graham and Lauren either side of her then looked in front to where Waverly needed help ensuring hers was locked. She had resumed cradling her arm as she gazed at her new family sitting across from her. Ruffy sat beside her, harnessed down and safe.

‘We’re ready to go,’ Waverly called not taking her eyes off Nicole.

‘Did you really mean what you said?’ Lauren asked raising her voice as the engine of the helicopter was started and rose steadily in volume.

‘About what?’ Waverly called back.

‘About going deep sea fishing,’ Lauren replied as the helicopter’s blades began to spin.

Waverly broke into a grin as she looked at the little girl, ‘of course… I’m hoping that you all still want to come with me?’ her eyes returned to Nicole.

The mayor was also smiling. She reached across and took Waverly’s good hand, ‘absolutely.’

‘Yeah Waverly, sounds great!’ Graham agreed excited.

‘Wherever you go… we’ll go,’ Nicole added her face soft and full of love.

Waverly tightened her grip on Nicole’s hand as the pilot pulled the helicopter off the ground. Looking out of the windows the children could see all the people who had played a part in their rescue looking up as the helicopter rose in altitude. Lauren could see Waverly’s team waving and cheering still. On his side, Graham could see the truck still sitting a few meters from the new mine entrance surrounded by the complete devastation of Purgatory’s Peak. They had spent their whole lives there and although it hurt that it had all been destroyed, they were excited to start a new life with Nicole and Waverly. Ruth would never be forgotten, but they felt safe with their new family. As the helicopter changed direction and Purgatory’s Peak dimmed from sight, Waverly and Nicole only had eyes for each other.

 

Her eyes closed, the sound of the waves drifting up and down the sea shore was blissful. They were accompanied by the distant sound of laughter and the barking of a dog as it jumped in and out of the water. It was only when a soft kiss was placed on her cheek that Waverly opened her eyes.

‘Hey,’ Nicole smiled as she knelt down beside Waverly who was lying on a lounger. ‘Think you fell asleep there…’

‘No,’ Waverly chuckled. ‘Just enjoying the noises around me.’

Nicole stroked her hand up and down Waverly’s arm, ‘you struggling to switch off now you’ve actually taken some vacation time?’

‘Maybe a little,’ Waverly admitted. She shuffled over so that Nicole could join her on the lounger. Nicole slid down so that she could place her head on Waverly’s chest and hold her close while still able to look out and see the children playing in the shallows of the sea. ‘This helps,’ Waverly said kissing the top of Nicole’s head. She paused for a moment as she stroked Nicole’s hair. ‘I actually handed my notice in…’ stunned Nicole propped herself up to look at Waverly to check she had heard right. ‘… as of two days ago, I no longer work for the United States Geological Survey.’

‘But you love that job,’ Nicole said confused.

Waverly simply smiled, stroking Nicole’s face and looking beyond her at the children in sea, ‘I found out that I love something more…’ she looked back at Nicole and kissed her tenderly.

With a gasp, Nicole tried to take the words in. Her eyes couldn’t help tracing down Waverly’s slender bikini clad body, taking in her beautiful form. ‘So… what’s next for us?’

‘At this moment, I don’t want to think about what’s next… I just want to think about now.’ The words lingered in the air between them as Nicole gazed adoringly into Waverly’s eyes. Their lips met again in a sweet caress before Nicole returned her head to Waverly’s chest with a few kisses to Waverly’s cheek and neck in passing. Together in each other’s arms they continued to watch the children splash happily in the waves as the afternoon sun beat down. After all they had been through, their minds were finally finding some peace. Now was a pretty amazing place to be.


End file.
